Image input and output system, method and recording medium

ABSTRACT

An image input and output system is provided in which a common operation screen for a plurality of image output devices having different attributes is displayed. Based on attribute information of each of printers, the server generates a signal for generating an operation screen, and transmits the signal to the scanner. At the scanner, image data is inputted, and a common operation screen, which is generated based on the signal for generating the operation screen, is displayed on a display panel. When information designating the printer and information relating to an output format of an image is inputted from the display panel, the inputted information and the image data are transmitted to the server. The server transmits, to a designated printer, the image data and the information relating to the output format of the image, which are transmitted from the scanner, and images are outputted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 09/954,299 filed Sep. 18,2001. The disclosure of the prior application is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an image input and output device,method and recording medium. In particular, the present inventionrelates to an image input device, an input control device, an imageoutput management device, an image output system, a display controldevice, an image management device, a management device, a program, arecording medium, an operation screen display controlling method, a jobmanaging method, and an event notifying method. In particular, thepresent invention relates to an image output system provided with aplurality of printers, a scanner which reads an original, and a printerserver which are all connected to a network, and relates to an imageoutput management device which is applicable to the image output system,an image input device which is applicable to the image output system, aninput control device which is applicable to the image output system, adisplay control device which is applicable to the image output system,an image input device which is applicable to the image output system, animage management device which is applicable to the image output system,a management device which is applicable to the image output system, aprogram which is applicable to the image output system, a recordingmedium on which the program is recorded, an operation screen displaycontrolling method which is applicable to the image output system, a jobmanaging method which is applicable to the image output system, and anevent notifying method which is applicable to the image output system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In a conventional copier, an image of an original set on an originalstand is read by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and a latent image isrecorded on a photosensitive drum by using a semiconductor laser. Byusing an electrophotographic process, the latent image on thephotosensitive drum is developed, and is transferred onto a sheet, andan image is thereby outputted. The copier is provided with, as a userinterface, a compact display panel which is formed by a touch panelbeing superposed on a display panel formed from a liquid crystal displayboard. Thus, there are limits to the amount of information which can bedisplayed at the same time on the display panel, and the density of theinformation which can be set.

On the other hand, in the case of forming a network printer byconnecting a plurality of printers to a network such that images can beoutputted from the respective printers, the network printer is formedfrom a scanner which is a reading device for reading an original, and aprinter server which appropriately processes image data received fromthe scanner and transmits the processed image data to a designatedprinter. Usually, one scanner is connected to the network, and thescanner has functions which are similar to the image reading functionsof a copier which is used alone. In order to carry out outputefficiently, a display panel, which is similar to a display panel whichserves as a user interface and is provided at a copier, is provided atthe scanner. From this display panel, the printer to output the image isdesignated, and the output format can be designated. However, withdisplay panels provided at current scanners, there are limits on theamount of information which can be displayed at the same time and on thedensity of information which can be set. Even if a display panel for acopier which is used alone is applied as is to a scanner, such astructure is not efficient in a case in which a network printer isformed.

Generally, various types of printers having different attributes, suchas models, functions, manufacturers, network addresses, and the like,are connected to a network. When giving various types of printers, whichhave different attributes, different output instructions from specificlocations, output must be carried out even more efficiently. However, inorder to realize such a system, operation screens corresponding tovarious types of printers must be displayed on the display panel. As thenumber of types of printers increases, the number of types of operationscreens increases. Thus, a problem arises in that it becomes difficultto efficiently operate the operation screens.

Further, in order to enable the operation screen displayed on thedisplay panel to be used in common, connecting the same type of printersto the network has been contemplated. However, even if printers producedby the same manufacturer are connected to the network, in order tohandle various types of desired outputs, black-and-white printers, colorprinters, and printers having different resolutions must be connected,and it is difficult to have the operation screen be able to be used incommon.

Moreover, for example, in cases such as when output is carried out at acolor printer on the basis of image data which was read by a scanner foroutputting at a black-and-white printer, or when output is carried outat a high resolution printer on the basis of image data which was readby a scanner for outputting at a low resolution printer, a good imagecannot be obtained. Thus, when designating outputting at plural printershaving, as attributes, different functions, such as a black-and-whiteprinter and a color printer, or printers having different resolutions orthe like, the image data must be read by the scanner several times inaccordance with the functions of the respective printers.

In such a print system, a set-up has been contemplated in which adisplay panel, which is similar to a display panel which serves as auser interface and is provided at a copier which is used alone, isprovided at a scanner. Various types of operation screens are displayedat the display panel, and the output destination of the image isdesignated from the image data input side. The output destination isdesignated from the image data input side, and the image data istransmitted to the server, and this information is registered as a jobin the server. At the server, in accordance with the registered job, oneor plural output destination devices are selected. The selected devicesare operated on the basis of the image data, and images are outputted.

Thus, at the server, data for an operation screen, at which informationdesignating the output destination device, information relating to theprinting format of the image, and the like are inputted, is generatedand is transmitted to the scanner. By displaying the operation screen onthe display panel or the like provided at the scanner, input of varioustypes of instructions from the user (information designating the outputdestination, information relating to the printing format, and the like)are received.

However, generally, the data for the operation screen includes pictureimage having a large data amount, such as icons or the like, and time isrequired to transmit the data from the server. Thus, a problem arises inthat, at the scanner, a long time is required to display the operationscreen which is the user interface.

Further, if the server is down, data for the operation screen cannot bereceived from the server. Thus, there is a problem in that the operationscreen cannot be displayed on the display panel of the scanner, and thescanner cannot be operated. In particular, when the server is down, notonly is use of the scanner not possible even if there are noabnormalities at the scanner, but also, it cannot be learned whether thecause of the inability to use the scanner lies with the scanner or theserver.

Further, in such a system, the file format of the image read at thescanner or the like is usually a fixed format which is determined inadvance, and generally, the format is designated at the time ofdownloading at the image receiving side.

Moreover, in such a system, a structure is possible in which the imageread at the scanner is held in the printer server, and later, the heldimage can be designated and reprinted.

However, for example, if a scanner image read for a color printer is, atthe time of reprinting, printed at a black-and-white printer, the imagequality deteriorates due to the conversion from a multivalue image to abinary image. Further, for example, in a case in which the same scanimage is reprinted at plural printers having different writingtechniques, the image quality differs. Moreover, when image data readfor a black-and-white printer is enlarged or reduced at the time ofreprinting, moire or the like may occur and the image may be disturbed.

In addition, in such a system, even in cases in which an operationscreen is used in common and various types of printers can be operatedfrom a single scanner, it is preferable to be able to operate eachprinter independently, and to be able to use the respective printersefficiently.

Also, in such a print system, the output destination and the outputformat of the image are designated and the image data is transmittedfrom the scanner to the server. This information is registered in theserver as a job. At the server, the registered job is transmitted to theone or plural printers which are designated as output destinations. Theprinter is operated on the basis of the image data and the outputformat, and is made to output the image. Further, it is possible toprovide a function such that a job of image data, for which output iscompleted, can be stored as a job for re-output, and an image based onthis image data can be re-outputted.

At this time, if it is set to erase a job after output of the image hasbeen completed, a problem arises in that even in a case of a job forwhich output of the image is unnecessary if the image is not outputtedby a predetermined time, the image is outputted after the predeterminedtime has passed because the job remains registered if the image is notoutputted. In order to prevent output of the mage by unnecessary job,the operator must search for the unnecessary job from among theregistered jobs and erase the unnecessary job. Not only is effortrequired, but also, there is the possibility that the operator maymistakenly delete a necessary job.

Further, when a re-output function is provided, because memory resourcesare limited, jobs for re-output, which have become old and are no longerneeded, must be erased from the memory. However, the needed time perioddiffers for each job. Thus, the operator must search for an unnecessaryjob from among the jobs stored for re-output, and erase the unnecessaryjob. Not only is effort required, but also, there is the possibilitythat the operator may mistakenly delete a necessary job for re-output.

Further, in the print system, if, in the above-described series ofoperations, some type of event occurs (e.g., a job is completed at theprinter, or an error arises, or the like), at the print system, amessage is displayed on the display panel of the scanner so as to notifythe operator of this fact.

However, after the operator has completed the work of inputtinginformation or the like at the scanner, the operator usually moves awayfrom the location of the scanner before completion of output of theimage and after a predetermined period of time has passed from the inputwork at the scanner. For example, the operator may return to his or herseat, or walk to the printer which is the output destination in order topick up the outputted image, or the like. A problem arises in that theoperator cannot be notified of the occurrence of an event.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was developed in order to overcome theabove-described problems, and an object of the present invention is toprovide an image input device, an input control device, an image outputmanagement device, an image output system, a program, and a recordingmedium which display a common operation screen for a plurality of imageoutput devices, which enable the operation screen to be operatedefficiently, and which can carry out output from a plurality of imageoutput devices on the basis of image data which is inputted by a singleoperation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an input controldevice, an image input device, an image output management device, animage output system, a program, and a recording medium which display acommon operation screen for a plurality of image output devices andwhich enable the operation screen to be operated efficiently.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide displaycontrol device, an image output system, an image output managementdevice, an image input device, and an operation screen displaycontrolling method in which time required for display of an operationscreen can be shortened. Further, in addition to this object, anotherobject is to operate an image input device regardless of the state of animage management output device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an imageinput device and image output system which can designate an outputformat of an image at the time of input of the image.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an imagemanagement device, an image output system, a medium, and a program atwhich a deterioration in image quality at the time of reprinting can beprevented.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an inputcontrol device, an image management device, an image output system, amedium, and a program which display a common operation screen for imageoutput devices having different attributes, and which enable theoperation screen to be operated efficiently, and which enable respectiveprinters to be used effectively.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an imageoutput system, an image input device, a management device, and a jobmanaging method which can easily and accurately delete unnecessary jobs.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide an imageoutput system, a management device, and an event notifying method bywhich an operator can be reliably notified of the occurrence of anevent.

In order to achieve the above-described objects, a first aspect of thepresent invention is an input control device comprising: an informationinput device at which is displayed an operation screen generated on thebasis of information for generating an operation screen, and which isfor input, from the operation screen which is displayed, of informationwhich designates image output devices which are to output images, andinformation which relates to output formats of images to be outputtedfrom designated image output devices; and a transmitting and receivingdevice which transmits the information which designates image outputdevices and the information which relates to output formats of images tobe outputted, which are inputted from the information input device, andimage data inputted from an image data input device, and which receivesthe information for generating the operation screen.

A second aspect of the present invention is an image input device usedin an image output system which includes: a plurality of image outputdevices which are respectively connected to a network, and which outputimages on the basis of image data and information relating to outputformats of images, which image data and information are transmitted viathe network; and an image output management device which is connected tothe network, and which, on the basis of attribute information of each ofthe plurality of image output devices, generates and transmits a signalfor generating an operation screen, and which outputs, to designatedimage output devices, transmitted information relating to the outputformats of the images and transmitted image data, wherein the imageinput device comprises: an image data input device for input of theimage data; a display-and-input device at which is displayed theoperation screen generated on the basis of the signal for generating theoperation screen, and which is for input, from the operation screenwhich is displayed, of information which designates image output deviceswhich are to output the images, and information which relates to outputformats of the images to be outputted from the designated image outputdevices; and a transmitting and receiving device which is connected tothe network, and which transmits, to the image output management devicevia the network, the information which designates image output devicesand the information which relates to output formats of images to beoutputted, which are inputted from the display-and-input device, and theimage data inputted from the image data input device, and whichreceives, via the network, the signal for generating the operationscreen.

In the above described image input device, the display-and-input devicecan display the operation screen which is for input of the informationwhich designates the plurality of image output devices. Also, theplurality of image output devices are designated by designating a groupwhich is in advance registered and which includes the plurality of imageoutput devices.

A third aspect of the present invention is an image output managementdevice connected to a network to which a plurality of image outputdevices are connected, wherein, on the basis of attribute information ofeach of the plurality of image output devices, the image outputmanagement device generates and transmits information, which is forgenerating an operation screen at which is inputted information, whichdesignates image output devices which are to output images, andinformation, which relates to output formats of images to be outputtedfrom the image output devices which are designated; the image outputmanagement device receives the information which designates the imageoutput devices and the information which relates to the output formatsof the images, which information are inputted from the operation screengenerated on the basis of the information for generating the operationscreen; and the image output management device transmits, to the imageoutput devices designated from the operation screen, the receivedinformation which relates to the output formats of the images and imagedata.

In the image output management device described above, thedisplay-and-input device is provided at least one of the plurality ofimage output devices, or is provided at the image output managementdevice, or is connected via the network, the display-and-input devicedisplaying the operation screen which is generated on the basis of theinformation for generating the operation screen, and enabling receivingthe information which designates the image output devices and theinformation which relates to the output formats of the images from theoperation screen which is displayed. Namely, the display-and-inputdevice is provided at the image output device so as to structure amultifunction device. Or, a personal computer connected to the net workis used as the display-and-input device.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is an image output managementdevice which is connected to a network to which at least one of aplurality of image output devices, and an image data input device forinput of image data, is connected, wherein the image output managementdevice generates and transmits, via the network, a signal for generatingan operation screen at which information for operating devices connectedto the network is inputted; the image output management device receives,via the network, the information inputted from the operation screengenerated on the basis of the signal; and the image output managementdevice transmits, to the devices connected to the network, receivedinformation in order to operate the devices connected to the network.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is an image output managementdevice used in an image output system including: a plurality of imageoutput devices which are respectively connected to a network, and whichoutput images on the basis of image data and information relating tooutput formats of images, which image data and information aretransmitted via the network; an image data input device for input of theimage data; a display-and-input device at which is displayed anoperation screen generated on the basis of a signal for generating anoperation screen, and which is for input, from the operation screenwhich is displayed, of information which designates image output deviceswhich are to output images, and information which relates to outputformats of images to be outputted from the image output devices whichare designated; and a transmitting and receiving device which isconnected to the network, and which transmits, via the network,information inputted from the display-and-input device and the imagedata inputted from the image data input device, and which receives, viathe network, the signal for generating the operation screen, whereinsaid image output management device is connected to the network, and onthe basis of attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices, generates and transmits, to the transmitting andreceiving device, the signal for generating the operation screen, andtransmits, to the image output devices which are designated, the imagedata and the information relating to the output formats of the images,which image data and information are transmitted from the transmittingand receiving device.

The above described image output management device stores attributeinformation of each of the plurality of image output devices. Also, thesignal for generating the operation screen is generated on the basis ofattribute information of the image output devices which are designated.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: a plurality of image output devices which are respectivelyconnected to a network, and which output images on the basis of imagedata and information relating to output formats of images, which imagedata and information are transmitted via the network; an image datainput device for input of the image data; a display-and-input device atwhich is displayed an operation screen generated on the basis of asignal for generating an operation screen, and which is for input, fromthe operation screen which is displayed, of information which designatesimage output devices which are to output images, and information whichrelates to output formats of images to be outputted from the imageoutput devices which are designated; a transmitting and receiving devicewhich is connected to the network, and which transmits, via the network,the information which designates image output devices and theinformation which relates to output formats of images to be outputted,which are inputted from the display-and-input device, and the image datainputted from the image data input device, and which receives, via thenetwork, the signal for generating the operation screen; and an imageoutput management device which is connected to the network, and which,on the basis of attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices, generates and transmits, to the transmitting andreceiving device, the signal for generating the operation screen, andwhich transmits, to the image output devices which are designated, theimage data and the information relating to the output formats of theimages, which image data and information are transmitted from thetransmitting and receiving device.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is a recording medium which isreadable by a computer and on which is recorded a program which makes acomputer function such that, on the basis of attribute information ofeach of a plurality of image output devices connected to a network, asignal is generated and transmitted via the network, the signal beingfor generating an operation screen at which are inputted information,which designates image output devices which are to output images, andinformation, which relates to output formats of the images to beoutputted from image output devices which are designated; theinformation which designates the image output devices and theinformation which relates to the output formats of the images, whichinformation are inputted from the operation screen which is generated onthe basis of the signal, are received via the network; and the receivedinformation relating to the output formats of the images, and image dataare transmitted to the image output devices which are designated fromthe operation screen.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is an recording medium whichis readable by a computer and on which is recorded a program which makesa computer function such that, on the basis of attribute information ofeach of a plurality of image output devices connected to a network, asignal is generated and transmitted via the network, the signal beingfor generating an operation screen at which are inputted information,which designates image output devices which are to output images, andinformation, which relates to output formats of the images to beoutputted from image output devices which are designated; theinformation which designates the image output devices and theinformation which relates to the output formats of the images, whichinformation are inputted from the operation screen which is generated onthe basis of the signal, are received via the network; and the receivedinformation relating to the output formats of the images, and image dataare transmitted to the image output devices which are designated fromthe operation screen.

In each of the above-described aspects, a plurality of image outputdevices, an image output management device, and an image input deviceincluding an image data input device, a display-and-input device and atransmitting and receiving device, are connected to a network. On thebasis of attribute information of each of the plurality of image outputdevices, the image output management device generates a signal forgenerating the operation screen, and transmits the signal to thetransmitting and receiving device. The transmitting and receiving devicereceives, via the network, this signal for generating the operationscreen. Image data is inputted from the image data input device. On thebasis of the signal for generating the operation screen, the generatedoperation screen is displayed on the display-and-input device. Then,information, which designates image output devices which are to outputimages, and information, which relates to the output formats of theimages to be outputted from each of the designated image output devices,are inputted to the display-and-input device from the displayedoperation screen. The information inputted from the display-and-inputdevice and the image data inputted from the image data input device, aretransmitted by the transmitting and receiving device via the network tothe image output management device. The image output management devicetransmits, to the designated plurality of image output devices, theimage data and the information relating to the output formats of theimages, which image data and information are transmitted from thetransmitting and receiving device. The image output devices output theimages on the basis of the image data and information relating to theoutput formats of the images, which image data and information aretransmitted via the network. In this way, a common operation screen isdisplayed for a plurality of image output devices, and the operationscreen can be operated efficiently. Further, on the basis of theinputted image data, output from a plurality of image output devices ispossible.

In particular, in the above-described image input device, when aoperation screen which is for designating a plurality of image outputdevices is displayed at the display-and-input device, arbitrary imageoutput devices can be designated, and outputting of images is easilyinstructed by operating the operation screen which is common for theplurality of image output devices which are designated. In a case inwhich the plurality of image output devices are designated bydesignating a group including the plurality of image output devices (theplurality of image output devices are registered in advance as thegroup), it is not necessary that each of the image output devicesincluded in the group is selected, accordingly the operation becomesfurther efficiently.

Moreover, in a case in which attribute information of each of theplurality of image output devices is stored in the above-described imageoutput management device, the attribute information of each of theplurality of image output devices can be easily taken (fetched) via thenetwork. Also, when a signal for generating the operation screen isgenerated on the basis of the designated attribute information of theimage output devices, attribute information of each of the plurality ofimage output devices which are outputted is easily taken via thenetwork.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is an image input devicecomprises: an image data input device for input of image data; adisplay-and-input device at which an operation screen generated on thebasis of a signal for generating an operation screen is displayed, andwhich is for input, from the operation screen which is displayed, ofinformation designating a plurality of image output devices which are tooutput images, and information relating to output formats of the imagesto be outputted from each of the plurality of image output devices whichare designated; and a transmitting and receiving device which transmits,via a network, the information inputted from the display-and-inputdevice and image data inputted by a single operation from the image datainput device, and which receives, via the network, the signal forgenerating the operation screen.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is an image input device used inan image output system which includes: a plurality of image outputdevices which are respectively connected to a network, and which outputimages on the basis of image data transmitted via the network andinformation relating to output formats of the images; and an imageoutput management device which is connected to the network, and whichgenerates and transmits a signal for generating an operation screen onthe basis of attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices, and which transmits, to each of the plurality of imageoutput devices which are designated, transmitted information relating tothe output formats of the images and transmitted image data; and theimage input device comprises: an image data input device for input ofthe image data; a display-and-input device at which an operation screengenerated on the basis of the signal for generating the operation screenis displayed, and which is for input, from the operation screen which isdisplayed, of information designating a plurality of image outputdevices which are to output images, and information relating to theoutput formats of the images to be outputted from each of the pluralityof image output devices which are designated; and a transmitting andreceiving device which is connected to the network, and which transmits,to the image output management device and via the network, informationinputted from the display-and-input device and image data inputted by asingle operation from the image data input device, and which receives,via the network, the signal for generating the operation screen.

In the above-described image input device, at the display-and-inputdevice, a plurality of image output devices having different attributesmay be designated, and images may be outputted from the plurality ofimage output devices which are designated. Further, the output formatsfor each of the plurality of image output devices which are designatedmay be respectively different.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is an input control devicewhich is applied to a dispersed-type copy system in which an image inputdevice and image output devices are connected via a network, and theinput control device comprises: receiving section for receivinginformation designating the image output devices and informationrelating to output formats of images to be outputted from each of theimage output devices which are designated, and for receiving aninstruction command to cause execution of a series of operations fromfetching of an image by the image input device to outputting of imagesat the image output devices.

A twelfth aspect of the present invention is an image output managementdevice which manages a dispersed-type copy system in which an imageinput device and image output devices are connected via a network, theimage output management device comprising: receiving section forreceiving information designating the image output devices andinformation relating to output formats of images to be outputted fromeach of the image output devices which are designated, and for receivingan instruction command to cause execution of a series of operations fromfetching of an image by the image input device to outputting of imagesat the image output devices.

Further, the above image input device may further comprise controlsection for effecting control to make the image output devices which aredesignated output the image fetched at the image input device, on thebasis of received information relating to the output formats of theimages.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is an image outputmanagement device which is connected to a network to which a pluralityof image output devices are connected, wherein, on the basis ofattribute information of each of the plurality of image output devices,the image output management device generates and transmits, via anetwork, a signal for generating an operation screen for input ofinformation, which designates a plurality of image output devices whichare to output images, and information, which relates to output formatsof the images to be outputted from each of the plurality of image outputdevices which are designated; the image output management devicereceives, via the network, the information which designates the imageoutput devices and the information which relates to the output formatsof the images, which information are inputted from the operation screengenerated on the basis of the signal; and the information managementdevice transmits, to each of the plurality of image output devices whichare designated from the operation screen, received information relatingto the output formats of the images and image data inputted by a singleoperation.

In the above-described image output management device, adisplay-and-input device, at which the operation screen generated on thebasis of the signal for generating the operation screen is displayed andwhich is for input, from the operation screen which is displayed, of theinformation designating the image output devices and the informationrelating to the output formats of the images, may be one of connected tothe network and provided at least one of the plurality of image outputdevices. Namely, the display-and-input device may be provided at animage output device so as to form a multifunction device. Further, apersonal computer or the like connected to the network may be used asthe display-and-input device.

In the above-described image output management device, an image datainput device, which is for input of the image data, may be one ofconnected to the network and provided at least one of the plurality ofimage output devices. Namely, the image data input device may beprovided at an image output device so as to form a multifunction device.Further, a personal computer or the like connected to the network may beused as the image data input device. In this case, the display-and-inputdevice may be connected to the image data input device or to thenetwork.

A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is an image outputmanagement device which is used in an image output system including: aplurality of image output devices which are respectively connected to anetwork, and which output images on the basis of image data andinformation relating to output formats of images, which image data andinformation are transmitted via the network; an image data input devicefor input of image data; and a display-and-input device at which anoperation screen generated on the basis of a signal for generating theoperation screen is displayed, and which is for input, from theoperation screen which is displayed, of information which designates aplurality of the image output devices which are to output images, andinformation which relates to output formats of the images to beoutputted from each of the plurality of image output devices which aredesignated, wherein the image output management device comprises: atransmitting section which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits, via the network, information inputted from thedisplay-and-input device and image data inputted by a single operationfrom the image data input device; and a receiving section which isconnected to the network, and which receives, via the network, thesignal for generating the operation screen, and the image outputmanagement device is connected to the network, and, on the basis ofattribute information of each of the plurality of image output devices,generates and transmits, to the receiving section, the signal forgenerating the operation screen, and transmits, to each of the pluralityof image output devices which are designated, the image data and theinformation relating to the output formats of the images, which imagedata and information are transmitted from the transmitting section.

In the above-described image output management devices, when image datais transmitted to each of the plurality of image output devices, theimage data may be converted, in accordance with attributes of aplurality of image output devices which have different attributes andwhich are designated at the display-and-input device, and transmitted.

A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprises: a plurality of output devices which are respectivelyconnected to a network, and which output images on the basis of imagedata and information relating to output formats of images, which imagedata and information are transmitted via the network; an image datainput device for input of image data; a display-and-input device atwhich an operation screen generated on the basis of a signal forgenerating the operation screen is displayed, and which is for input,from the operation screen which is displayed, of information whichdesignates a plurality of image output devices which are to outputimages, and information which relates to output formats of the images tobe outputted from each of the plurality of image output devices whichare designated; a transmitting and receiving device which is connectedto the network, and which transmits, via the network, informationinputted from the display-and-input device and image data inputted by asingle operation from the image data input device, and which receives,via the network, the signal for generating the operation screen; and animage output management device which is connected to the network, andwhich, on the basis of attribute information of each of the plurality ofimage output devices, generates and transmits to the transmitting andreceiving device the signal for generating the operation screen, andwhich transmits, to each of the plurality of image output devices whichare designated, the image data and the information relating to theoutput formats of the images, which image data and information aretransmitted from the transmitting and receiving device.

A sixteen aspect of the present invention is a program which makes acomputer function such that, on the basis of attribute information ofeach of a plurality of image output devices connected to a network, asignal for generating an operation screen is generated and transmittedvia the network, the operation screen being for input of informationwhich designates a plurality of image output devices which are to outputimages, and information which relates to output formats of the images tobe outputted from each of the plurality of image output devices whichare designated; the information which designates the image outputdevices and the information which relates to the output formats, whichinformation are inputted from the operation screen generated on thebasis of the signal, are received via the network; and receivedinformation which relates to the output formats of the images, and imagedata inputted by a single operation are transmitted to each of theplurality of image output devices which are designated from theoperation screen.

A seventeenth aspect of the present invention is a recording medium inwhich program is recorded on a recording medium which is readable by acomputer, the program making the computer function such that, on thebasis of attribute information of each of a plurality of image outputdevices connected to a network, a signal for generating an operationscreen is generated and transmitted via the network, the operationscreen being for input of information which designates a plurality ofimage output devices which are to output images, and information whichrelates to output formats of the images to be outputted from each of theplurality of image output devices which are designated; the informationwhich designates the image output devices and the information whichrelates to the output formats, which information are inputted from theoperation screen generated on the basis of the signal, are received viathe network; and received information which relates to the outputformats of the images, and image data inputted by a single operation aretransmitted to each of the plurality of image output devices which aredesignated from the operation screen.

In each of the above-described aspects, a plurality of image outputdevices, an image output management device, and an image input deviceincluding an image data input device, a display-and-input device and atransmitting and receiving device, are connected to a network. On thebasis of attribute information of each of the plurality of image outputdevices, the image output management device generates a signal forgenerating the operation screen, and transmits the signal to thetransmitting and receiving device. The transmitting and receiving devicereceives, via the network, this signal for generating the operationscreen. Image data is inputted from the image data input device. On thebasis of the signal for generating the operation screen, the generatedoperation screen is displayed on the display-and-input device. Then,information, which designates a plurality of image output devices whichare to output images, and information, which relates to the outputformats of the images to be outputted from each of the designatedplurality of image output devices, are inputted to the display-and-inputdevice from the displayed operation screen. The information inputtedfrom the display-and-input device and the image data inputted by asingle operation from the image data input device, are transmitted bythe transmitting and receiving device via the network to the imageoutput management device. The image output management device transmits,to the designated plurality of image output devices, the image data andthe information relating to the output formats of the images, whichimage data and information are transmitted from the transmitting andreceiving device. The image output devices output the images on thebasis of the image data and information relating to the output formatsof the images, which image data and information are transmitted via thenetwork.

In this way, a common operation screen is displayed for a plurality ofimage output devices having different attributes, and the operationscreen can be operated efficiently. Further, on the basis of theinputted image data, output from a plurality of image output devices ispossible.

In particular, in the above-described image input device, when aplurality of image output devices having different attributes aredesignated at the display-and-input device and images are outputted fromthe designated plurality of image output devices, images correspondingto the attributes of the image output devices can respectively beoutputted on the basis of the inputted image data. Further, whendifferent output formats are set for each of the designated plurality ofimage output devices, on the basis of the inputted image data, outputcan be carried out at respectively different output formats.

Moreover, in the above-described image output management device, at thetime when the image data is transmitted to each of the plurality ofimage output devices, the image data is converted in accordance with theattributes of the plurality of image output devices, which havedifferent attributes and are designated at the display-and-input device,and is transmitted. On the basis of the inputted image data, good imagescan be respectively outputted from a plurality of image output deviceshaving different attributes.

An eighteenth aspect of the present invention is a display controldevice comprising: storing section for storing first operation screeninformation which is for generating a portion of an operation screen;receiving section, connected to a network, for receiving, via thenetwork, second operation screen information which is for generating aremaining portion of the operation screen; and generating section forgenerating the operation screen by combining the first operation screeninformation which is stored in the storing section and the secondoperation screen information which is received by the receiving section.

In accordance with the eighteenth aspect of the invention, at thedisplay control device, first operation screen information, which is forgenerating a portion of an operation screen, is stored in advance in thestoring section. The second operation screen information, which is forgenerating a remaining portion of the operation screen, is received bythe receiving section via the network. The second operation screeninformation is combined with the first operation screen informationstored in the storing section, so as to generate the operation screen.

A nineteenth aspect of the present invention is a (operation screen)display controlling method comprising the steps of: storing firstoperation screen information which is for generating a portion of anoperation screen; receiving, via a network, second operation screeninformation which is for generating a remaining portion of the operationscreen; and generating and displaying the operation screen by combiningthe first operation screen information which is stored and the secondoperation screen information which is received.

In accordance with the nineteenth aspect of the invention, firstoperation screen information, which is for generating a portion of anoperation screen, is stored in advance. The second operation screeninformation, which is for generating a remaining portion of theoperation screen, is received by a receiving section via the network.The second operation screen information is combined with the firstoperation screen information stored in a storing section, so as togenerate the operation screen.

In this way, in the eighteenth and nineteenth aspects, the firstoperation screen information is stored in advance at the side whichgenerates and displays the operation screen. In this way, the amount ofdata of the information transmitted via the network in order to displaythe operation screen can be reduced, and the time required fordisplaying the operation screen can be shortened.

A twentieth aspect of the present invention is an image input deviceused in an image output system formed by a plurality of image outputdevices being connected to a network, the image input device comprising:image data input section for input of image data; display-and-inputsection at which an operation screen is displayed, and which is forinput, from the operation screen which is displayed, of informationwhich designates image output devices which are to output images, andinformation which relates to output formats of the images; transmittingand receiving section which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits information inputted from the display-and-input section andimage data inputted from the image data input section, and whichreceives a signal for generating the operation screen; icon informationstoring section for storing icon information which forms the operationscreen; and display control section for generating the operation screenby combining the icon information, which is stored in the iconinformation storing section, and the signal for generating the operationscreen, which signal is received by the transmitting and receivingsection, and for displaying the operation screen on thedisplay-and-input section.

In accordance with the twentieth aspect of the invention, at the imageinput device, when the signal for generating the operation screen isreceived by the transmitting and receiving section, by the displaycontrol section combining the icon information, which is stored inadvance in the icon information storing section, and the receivedsignal, the operation screen is generated, and is displayed on thedisplay-and-input section. Information, which designates the imageoutput devices which are to output images, and information, whichrelates to the output formats of the images to be outputted from thedesignated image output devices, are inputted from the displayedoperation screen. Then, these information, which are inputted by thetransmitting and receiving section, are transmitted via the network, andthe image data inputted by the image data input section is alsotransmitted via the network. In this way, the designated image outputdevices are made to output images on the basis of the image data and theoutput formats of the images.

The icon information, which is a large data amount, is stored at theimage input device side. Thus, it suffices for the signal for generatingthe operation screen, which signal is transmitted to the image inputdevice via the network in order to display the operation screen, to beonly attribute information which is expressed by text or the like havinga small data amount. The time required to display the operation screencan be shortened.

A twenty-first aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: (a) a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data and output formats of images, which image data andoutput formats are transmitted via the network; (b) an image inputdevice including: (1) image data input section for input of image data;(2) display-and-input section at which an operation screen is displayed,and which is for input, from the operation screen which is displayed, ofinformation which designates image output devices which are to outputimages, and information which relates to output formats of the images tobe outputted from the image output devices which are designated; (3)transmitting and receiving section which is connected to the network,and which transmits, via the network, image data inputted from the imagedata input section and information inputted from the display-and-inputsection, and which receives, via the network, a signal for generatingthe operation screen; (4) icon information storing section for storingicon information which forms the operation screen; and (5) displaycontrol section for generating the operation screen by combining theicon information, which is stored in the icon information storingsection, and the signal for generating the operation screen, whichsignal is received by the transmitting and receiving section, and fordisplaying the operation screen at the display-and-input section; and(c) an image output management device which is connected to the network,and which stores attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices, and which, on the basis of the attribute information,generates and transmits, to the transmitting and receiving section, thesignal for generating the operation screen, and which transmits, to theimage output devices which are designated, the image data transmittedfrom the transmitting and receiving section and the information relatingto the output formats of the images.

A twenty-second aspect of the present invention is an image outputmanagement device used in an image output system which includes: aplurality of image output devices which are respectively connected to anetwork, and which output images on the basis of image data and outputformats of images, which image data and output formats are transmittedvia the network; and an image input device including image data inputsection which is connected to the network and which is for input ofimage data, and a display-and-input section at which an operation screenis displayed, and which is for input, from the operation screen which isdisplayed, of information which designates image output devices whichare to output images, and information which relates to output formats ofimages to be outputted from the image output devices which aredesignated, the image input device generating and displaying, at thedisplay-and-input section, the operation screen by combining a signalfor generating the operation screen which signal is received via thenetwork and icon information which is stored in advance, and the imageinput device transmitting, via the network, the image data inputted fromthe image data input section and the information inputted from thedisplay-and-input section, wherein the image output management device isconnected to the network, and stores attribute information of each ofthe plurality of image output devices, and, on the basis of theattribute information, generates and transmits, to the transmitting andreceiving section, the signal for generating the operation screen, andtransmits, to the image output devices which are designated, the imagedata transmitted from the transmitting and receiving section and theinformation relating to the output formats of the images.

A twenty-third aspect of the present invention is an image input deviceused in an image output system including: a plurality of image outputdevices which are respectively connected to a network, and which outputimages on the basis of image data and output formats of images, whichimage data and output formats are transmitted via the network; and animage output management device which is connected to the network, andwhich stores attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices, and which, on the basis of attribute information,generates and transmits, via the network, a signal for generating anoperation screen, and which transmits, to image output devices which aredesignated, the image data and information relating to the outputformats of the images, which image data and information are transmittedvia the network, the image input device comprising: image data inputsection for input of image data; display-and-input section at which theoperation screen is displayed, and which is for input, from theoperation screen which is displayed, of information which designatesimage output devices which are to output images, and information whichrelates to output formats of the images; transmitting and receivingsection which is connected to the network, and which transmits, to theimage output management device, information which is inputted from thedisplay-and-input section and image data which is inputted from theimage data input section, and which receives the signal for generatingthe operation screen from the image output management device; iconinformation storing section for storing icon information which forms theoperation screen; and display control section for generating theoperation screen by combining the icon information stored in the iconinformation storing section and the signal for generating the operationscreen, which signal is received from the transmitting and receivingsection, and for displaying the operation screen at thedisplay-and-input section.

Next, the image output system of the twenty-first aspect will bedescribed together with the image output management device and the imageinput device of the twenty-second and twenty-third aspects.

At the image output management device, attribute information of each ofthe plurality of image output devices is stored. On the basis of thisattribute information, a signal for generating the operation screen isgenerated, and the generated signal is transmitted, via the network, tothe transmitting and receiving section of the image input device.

At the image input device, when the signal for generating the operationscreen is received by the transmitting and receiving section, thedisplay control section combines the received signal and the iconinformation, which is stored in advance in the icon information storingsection, so as to generate the operation screen, and displays theoperation screen at the display-and-input section. Information, which isfor designating image output devices which are to output images, andinformation, which relates to the output formats of the images to beoutputted from the designated image output devices, are inputted fromthe displayed operation screen. The transmitting and received sectiontransmits these inputted information via the network. Further, thetransmitting and receiving section also transmits, via the network, theimage data which is inputted by the image data input section.

The information, which designates the image output devices to outputimages and which was transmitted by the transmitting and receivingsection of the image input device, is received at the image outputmanagement device. On the basis of the received information, the imagedata and the information relating to the output formats of the images,which image data and information were transmitted by the transmittingand receiving section of the image input device, are transmitted to thedesignated image output devices. The designated image output devices arethereby made to output images on the basis of the image data and theoutput formats of the images.

In this way, the icon information, which has a large data amount, isstored in the image input device, and not in the image output managementdevice. Thus, as the signal for generating the operation screen from theimage output management device, it suffices to transmit only attributeinformation which is expressed by text or the like having a small dataamount. The time required to display the operation screen can beshortened.

Note that, a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention is an imageinput device according to the twenty-third aspect further comprisingimage information storing section for storing at least one ofinformation of a screen relating to only the image input device, andinformation of a screen which gives notice that the image outputmanagement device cannot communicate, wherein, at least one of a time ofoperation of only the image input device and a time of failure ofreceipt of a signal from the image output management device, the displaycontrol section may display, at the display-and-input section, a screenwhich is based on the information stored in the screen informationstoring section.

A twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention is an operation screendisplay controlling method in an image output system which is formed by(a) a plurality of image output devices which output images based onimage data and output formats of images; (b) an image output managementdevice which transmits, to image output devices which are designated,the image data and information relating to output formats of images; and(c) an image input device including an image data input section forinput of image data, and a display-and-input section at which anoperation screen is displayed and which is for input, from the operationscreen which is displayed, of information which relates to outputformats of images and information which designates image output deviceswhich are to output images, the image input device transmitting, to theimage output management device, image data inputted from the image datainput section and information inputted from the display-and-inputsection, being connected to a network, the operation screen displaycontrolling method comprising the steps of storing, in the image outputmanagement device, attribute information of each of the plurality ofimage output devices; storing icon information in the image inputdevice; and at the time of displaying the operation screen at thedisplay-and-input section, transmitting, from the image outputmanagement device to the image input device, a signal for generating theoperation screen which is generated on the basis of the attributeinformation, and at the image input device, generating the operationscreen by combining the icon information and the received signal forgenerating the operation screen, and displaying the operation screen atthe display-and-input section.

In accordance with the twenty fifth aspect of the invention, theattribute information of each of the plurality of image output devicesis stored in the image output management device. The icon information,which forms the operation screen which is displayed at thedisplay-and-input section which is provided at the image input device,is stored in advance in that image input device.

At the time when the operation screen is displayed at thedisplay-and-input section, on the basis of the stored attributeinformation, a signal for generating the operation screen is generated,and the signal is transmitted from the image output management device tothe image input device. At the image input device, the icon informationwhich is stored in advance and the signal for generating the operationscreen are combined to form the operation screen, and the operationscreen is displayed at the display-and-input section.

In this way, the icon information, which is a large data amount, isstored in the image input device. Thus, as the signal for generating theoperation screen from the image output management device, it suffices totransmit only attribute information which is expressed by text or thelike having a small data amount. The time required to display theoperation screen can be shortened.

A twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention is an image input devicecomprising: input section for input of image data; designating sectionfor designating an output file format of inputted image data; andconverting section for converting the inputted image data into imagedata of an output file format designated by the designating section.

In accordance with this aspect, at the time of image input, e.g., at thetime of scanning an original, the output file format at the time ofoutputting the read image can be designated, and the read image can beconverted into the designated output file format. Thus, the operator candesignate an optimal output file format in accordance with the type ofthe read image.

A twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention is an image inputdevice used in an image output system including: an image output devicewhich is connected to a network, and which outputs an image on the basisof image data transmitted via the network; and a management device whichis connected to the network, and which transmits, to the image outputdevice, image data transmitted from the network, wherein the image inputdevice comprises: input section for input of image data; designatingsection for designating an output file format of inputted image data;converting section for converting the inputted image data into imagedata of an output file format designated by the designating section; andtransmitting section, connected to the network, for transmitting, to themanagement device and via the network, image data of an output fileformat converted by the converting section.

In accordance with this aspect, the input section is for inputting imagedata. For example, a scanner or a facsimile for reading an original byusing a reading sensor such as a CCD, or a computer for reading imagedata stored in an external storage device, or the like, can be used asthe input section.

The designating section is for designating the output file format of theimage data inputted by the input section. For example, a display panelsuch as a touch panel can be displayed, or a menu for designating theoutput file format can be displayed at a display, and designation can becarried out by fingers, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like.

Examples of the output file format are various types of file formatssuch as JPEG, bitmap, PDF, and the like.

The converting section converts the image data inputted from the inputsection into image data of the output file format which is designated bythe designating section.

The transmitting section is connected to the network, and transmits, tothe management device and via the network, the image data of the outputfile format which has been converted by the converting section.

The management device is connected to the network. The management devicetransmits, to the image output device, the image data transmitted fromthe network, i.e., the image data which has been inputted at the imageinput device and which has been converted into the designated outputformat. Namely, the management device functions as a so-called server,and manages the image data transmitted via the network, and outputs theimage data to the image output device.

The image output device is connected to a network such as, for example,a LAN, and outputs an image on the basis of the image data transmittedvia the network, i.e., the image data transmitted from the managementdevice. Examples of the image output device are a network printer or acomputer such as a personal computer or the like, which can be connectedto the network. For example, in the case of a printer, an image based onthe image data transmitted via the network is printed onto a recordingsheet. In the case of a computer such as a personal computer, an imagebased on the image data transmitted via the network is displayed on adisplay or the like.

In this way, at the time of image input, e.g., at the time of scanningan original, the output file format at the time of outputting the readimage can be designated, and the read image can be converted into thedesignated output file format. As a result, the operator can designatean optimal output file format in accordance with the type of the readimage.

A twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention is an image input deviceused in an image output system including: an image output device whichis connected to a network, and which outputs an image on the basis ofimage data transmitted via the network; and a management device which isconnected to the network, and which includes a converting section forconverting image data transmitted from the network into image data of atransmitted output file format, and which transmits, to the image outputdevice, image data of an output file format converted at the convertingsection, wherein the image input device comprises: input section forinput of image data; designating section for designating an output fileformat of inputted image data; and transmitting section, connected tothe network, for transmitting, to the management device, the image dataand the output file format designated by the designating section.

In accordance with this aspect, the converting section, which convertsthe image data transmitted from the network into image data of thetransmitted output file format, is provided at the management device.The image input device transmits the image data inputted by the inputsection and the output file format designated by the designatingsection, by the transmitting section via the network to the managementdevice.

Accordingly, the image data is converted at the converting sectionprovided at the management device, and the converted image data isoutputted to the image output device.

In this way, at the time of input of the image, the output file formatat the time of outputting the read image can be designated. As a result,the operator can designate an optimal output file format in accordancewith the type of the read image.

A twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention is an image input deviceused in an image output system including: an image output device whichis connected to a network, and which includes a converting section forconverting image data transmitted via the network into image data of atransmitted output file format, and which outputs an image on the basisof image data of an output file format, converted at the convertingsection; and a management device which is connected to the network, andwhich transmits, to the image output device, the image data transmittedvia the network and the transmitted output file format, wherein theimage input device comprises: input section for input of image data;designating section for designating an output file format of inputtedimage data; and transmitting section, connected to the network, fortransmitting, to the management device, the image data and the outputfile format which is designated by the designating section.

In accordance with this aspect, the converting section, which convertsthe image data transmitted from the network into image data of thetransmitted output file format, is provided at the image output device.The image input device transmits the image data inputted by the inputsection and the output file format designated by the designatingsection, by the transmitting section via the network to the managementdevice. The management device outputs, to the image output device, theimage data and the output file format which are transmitted via thenetwork from the image input device.

Accordingly, the image data is converted at the converting sectionprovided at the image output device, and an image is outputted on thebasis of the converted image data.

In this way, at the time of input of the image, the output file formatat the time of outputting the read image can be designated. As a result,the operator can designate an optimal output file format in accordancewith the type of the read image.

A thirtieth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: (a) an image input device including: (1) input section forinput of image data; (2) designating section for designating an outputfile format of inputted image data; (3) converting section forconverting the inputted image data into image data of an output fileformat designated by the designating section; and (4) transmittingsection, connected to a network, for transmitting, to the network, imagedata of an output file format converted by the converting section; (b) amanagement device which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits, to an image output device, image data of an output fileformat transmitted via the network; and (c) an image output device whichis connected to the network, and which outputs an image on the basis ofthe image data of the output file format transmitted via the network. Inthis way, at the time of image input, the output file format at the timeof outputting the read image can be designated. As a result, theoperator can designate an optimal output file format in accordance withthe type of the read image.

A thirty-first aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: (a) an image input device including: (1) input section forinput of image data; (2) designating section for designating an outputfile format of inputted image data; and (3) transmitting section,connected to the network, for transmitting, to the network, the imagedata and the output file format designated by the designating section;(b) converting section, connected to the network, for converting imagedata transmitted via the network into image data of a transmitted outputfile format; (c) a management device which transmits, to an image outputdevice, image data of an output file format converted at the convertingsection; and (d) an image output device which is connected to thenetwork, and which outputs an image on the basis of image data of anoutput file format transmitted via the network. In this way, at the timeof image input, the output file format at the time of outputting theread image can be designated. As a result, the operator can designate anoptimal output file format in accordance with the type of the readimage.

A thirty-second aspect of the present invention is an image outputsystem comprising: (a) an image input device including: (1) inputsection for input of image data; (2) designating section for designatingan output file format of inputted image data; and (3) transmittingsection, connected to the network, for transmitting, to a managementdevice, the image data and the output file format designated by thedesignating section; (b) the management device which is connected to thenetwork, and which transmits, to an image output device, image data andan output file format, which image data and output file format aretransmitted from the network; and (c) an image output device which isconnected to the network, and which includes a converting section forconverting image data transmitted via the network into image data of atransmitted output file, and which outputs an image on the basis ofimage data of an output file format converted at the converting section.In this way, at the time of image input, the output file format at thetime of outputting the read image can be designated. As a result, theoperator can designate an optimal output file format in accordance withthe type of the read image.

A thirty-third aspect of the present invention is an image managementdevice applied to an image output system which stores image datainputted from an image input device and which can, via a network, makean image output device output an image, the image management devicecomprising: storing section for storing image data inputted from theimage input device and information relating to an output format of animage; and control section for receiving image data to be outputted anda designation of information relating to an output format of an image,and on the basis of the information relating to the output format of theimage which information is stored in the storing section, the controlsection effects control to limit designation of information relating toan output format of an image to be outputted.

In accordance with this aspect, at the time when the image data storedin the storing section is outputted, on the basis of the informationrelating to the output format of the image which information is storedin the storing section, the control section effects control such thatthe designation of the information relating to the output format of theimage to be outputted is limited. In this way, a situation can beprevented in which an output format, which essentially cannot bedesignated, is mistakenly set.

The above-described image management device can carry out theabove-described processings on the basis of a program for making acomputer function as a storing section, which stores the image datainputted from the image input device and the information relating to theoutput format of the image, and as a control section which effectscontrol such that the outputted image data and a designation of theinformation relating to the output format of the image are received, andon the basis of information relating to the output format of the imagewhich information is stored in the storing section, the designation ofthe information relating to the output format of the image to beoutputted is limited. Further, this program can be recorded on arecording medium which is readable at a computer.

Specifically, functions to be executed at the image management devicecan be easily implemented at any computer by making the program forexecuting the above-described processing functions portable by storingit on the following medium and by executing the program, which is storedon the medium, at a computer. Specifically, the fifth aspect is astorage medium on which is stored an image management program which isto be executed at an image management device which is applied to animage output system which stores image data inputted by an image inputdevice and which can, via a network, make an image output device output,wherein the image management program makes the image data inputted fromthe image input device and information relating to an output format ofan image, be stored; and the image management program makes image datato be outputted and a designation of information relating to an outputformat of an image be received, and on the basis of stored informationrelating to the output format of the image, makes control be effected tolimit designation of information relating to an output format of animage to be outputted.

Further, by executing the following program on a computer, theabove-described processing functions can easily be implemented.Specifically, a sixth aspect is an image management program which is tobe executed at an image management device which is applied to an imageoutput system which stores image data inputted by an image input deviceand which can, via a network, make an image output device output,wherein the image management program makes the image data inputted fromthe image input device and information relating to an output format ofan image, be stored; and the image management program makes image datato be outputted and a designation of information relating to an outputformat of an image be received, and on the basis of stored informationrelating to the output format of the image, makes control be effected tolimit designation of information relating to an output format of animage to be outputted.

A thirty-fourth aspect of the present invention is an image managementdevice used in an image output system including: a plurality of imageoutput devices which are respectively connected to a network, and whichoutput images on the basis of image data and information relating tooutput formats of the images, which image data and information aretransmitted via the network; storing section, connected to the network,for storing image data inputted from an image data input deviceconnected to the network, and information relating to output formats ofimages; a display-and-input device at which is displayed an operationscreen which is generated on the basis of a signal for generating theoperation screen, and which is for input, from the operation screenwhich is displayed, of information which designates image output deviceswhich are to output images, information which relates to output formatsof the images, and image data which is to be re-outputted andinformation relating to the output formats of the images from among theimage data and the information relating to the output formats of theimages stored in the storing section; and a transmitting device which isconnected to the network, and which transmits, via the network,information inputted from the display-and-input device, and whichreceives, via the network, the signal for generating the operationscreen, wherein the image management device is connected to the network,and on the basis of attribute information of each of the plurality ofimage output and information relating to output formats of images to bere-outputted which information is stored in the storing section, theimage management device generates and transmits, to the transmittingdevice, a signal generating an operation screen relating to operation ofre-outputting, and transmits, to image output devices which aredesignated, image data for which re-outputting is designated and theinformation relating to the output formats of the images whichinformation is transmitted from the transmitting device.

In accordance with this aspect, the image output device is connected toa network such as a LAN or the like, and outputs images on the basis ofimage data and information relating to the output formats of the images,which image data and information are transmitted via the network.Examples of the information relating to the output format of the imageinclude the sheet size, the number of sets to be outputted, the type ofimage (color or black-and-white), and the like. The image output deviceis, for example, a network printer which can be connected to a network.An image, which is based on the image data transmitted via the network,is printed onto a recording paper at the sheet size and the number ofsets which are designated by the information relating to the outputformat of the image. Note that, here, the term “image” encompassesdocument text images which are only characters, and images includingcharacters and photographs, pictures, and the like.

The storing section is connected to the network, and stores the imagedata, which is inputted by the image data input device connected to thenetwork, and the information relating to the output format of the image.

The image data input device is for input of image data. For example, ascanner or facsimile for reading an original by using a reading sensorsuch as a CCD, or a computer for reading image data stored in anexternal storage device, or the like, may be used as the image datainput device.

The display-and-input device displays the operation screen which isgenerated on the basis of a signal for generating the operation screen.Then, the information designating the image output device which is tooutput the image, and the information relating to the output format ofthe image to be outputted from the designated image output device, andimage data to be re-outputted and information relating to the outputformat of the image from among the image data and information relatingto the output format of the image which are stored in the storingsection, can be inputted from the displayed operation screen.

The transmitting device is connected to the network, and transmits, viathe network, information inputted from the display-and-input device,i.e., information designating the image output device which is to outputthe image and information relating to the output format of the image tobe outputted from the designated image output device, as well as theimage data which is inputted from the image data input device. Further,the transmitting device receives, via the network, the signal forgenerating the operation screen. The display-and-input device generatesand displays the operation screen by the received signal for generatingthe operation screen.

The image management device is connected to the network, and on thebasis of the attribute information of each of the plurality of imageoutput devices and the information relating to the output format of theimage to be re-outputted which information is stored in the storingsection, generates a signal for generating an operation screen relatingto the operation of re-outputting, and transmits the signal to thetransmitting device. Examples of the attribute information includeinformation expressing whether the image output device is forblack-and-white printing or color printing, information expressingwhether the image output device has a function for printing both sidesof a sheet, information expressing whether the image output device has afinisher (a stapling function), information expressing the location ofthe image output device (the floor, the department or the like where theimage output device is located in a single building, or the departmentor the like where the image output device is located in anotherbuilding), information expressing whether the image output device ishigh resolution or not, information expressing the sizes of sheets whichcan be printed, and the like.

By using the attribute information and the information relating to theoutput format of the image to be re-outputted which is stored in thestoring section, i.e., by using the information relating to the outputformat at the time of the initial output, it is possible to generate anoperation screen which relates to the operation of re-outputting, e.g.,an output screen which permits selection only of functions which can beset only at the time of re-outputting.

In this way, an operation screen which relates to the operation ofre-outputting is displayed at the display-and-input device, andinformation, which relates to the output format of the image set by theoperation of the user, is transmitted to the image management device bythe transmitting device. Then, at the image management device, theinformation relating to the output format of the image and the imagedata, which is stored in the storing section and for which re-output isdesignated, are transmitted to the designated image output device.

In this way, at the time of re-output, because an operation screen usedexclusively for re-output is generated, the setting of functions whichare valid only at the time of re-output can be carried out.

A thirty-fifth aspect of the present invention is an image managementdevice according to the thirty-fourth aspect wherein at an operationscreen, which is generated by the signal for generating an operationscreen relating to operation of re-outputting, for specific attributeinformation, it is possible for the information relating to the outputformat of the image to not be able to be changed. Namely, specificoutput formats for which changing at the time of re-output is notpermitted (e.g., the type of image such as color or black-and-white) andfunctions for which setting is impossible (such as the reading densityof the image) are, for example, not displayed on the operation screen,so that they cannot be selected. In this way, changing of settings atthe time of re-output can be prevented, and a deterioration in imagequality can be prevented.

A thirty-sixth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: a plurality of image output devices which are respectivelyconnected to a network, and which output images on the basis of imagedata and information relating to output formats of the images, whichimage data and information are transmitted via the network; storingsection, connected to the network, for storing image data inputted froman image data input device connected to the network, and informationrelating to output formats of images; a display-and-input device atwhich is displayed an operation screen which is generated on the basisof a signal for generating the operation screen, and which is for input,from the operation screen which is displayed, of information whichdesignates image output devices which are to output images, informationwhich relates to output formats of the images, and image data which isto be re-outputted and information relating to the output formats of theimages from among the image data and the information relating to theoutput formats of the images stored in the storing section; atransmitting device which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits, via the network, information inputted from thedisplay-and-input device, and which receives, via the network, thesignal for generating the operation screen; and an image managementdevice which is connected to the network, and which, on the basis ofattribute information of each of the plurality of image output devicesand information relating to output formats of images to be re-outputtedwhich information is stored in the storing section, generates andtransmits, to the transmitting device, a signal for generating anoperation screen relating to operation of re-outputting, and whichtransmits, to image output devices which are designated, image data forwhich re-outputting is designated and the information relating to theoutput formats of the images which information is transmitted from thetransmitting device. Thus, a deterioration in image quality at the timeof re-output can be prevented.

A thirty-seventh aspect of the present invention is a storage medium onwhich is stored an image management program of an image output systemwhich stores image data inputted from an image input device and whichcan, via a network, make an image output device output an image, whereinthe image management program makes the image data inputted from theimage input device and information relating to an output format of animage, be stored; and the image management program makes image data tobe outputted and a designation of information relating to an outputformat of an image be received, and on the basis of stored informationrelating to the output format of the image, makes control be effected tolimit designation of information relating to an output format of animage to be outputted.

A thirty-eighth aspect of the present invention is an image managementprogram of an image output system which stores image data inputted froman image input device and which can, via a network, make an image outputdevice output, wherein the image management program makes the image datainputted from the image input device and information relating to anoutput format of an image, be stored; and the image management programmakes image data to be outputted and a designation of informationrelating to an output format of an image be received, and on the basisof stored information relating to the output format of the image, makescontrol be effected to limit designation of information relating to anoutput format of an image to be outputted.

A thirty-ninth aspect of the present invention is an image managementdevice applied to an image output system which makes an image outputdevice output an image of image data which is inputted from an imagedata input device, via a network, the image management devicecomprising: control section for receiving, via the network, image datainputted from the image data input device and information of an imageoutput device which is designated, and if the image output device whichis designated is currently operating, the control section holds theimage data, and when operation of the image output device which isdesignated is completed, the control section outputs the held image datato the image output device which is designated.

In accordance with this aspect, even if the designated image outputdevice is currently operating, the image data which is inputted from theimage data input device is held. After operation of the designated imageoutput device is completed, the held image data is outputted to thedesignated image output device. Thus, the efficiency of using the imageoutput device can be improved.

The above-described image management device can carry out theabove-described processings on the basis of a program for making acomputer function as a control section which receives, via a network,the image data inputted from the image data input device and thedesignated image output device, and which, when the designated imageoutput device is currently operating, holds the image data, and whenoperation of the designated image output device is completed, outputsthe held image data to the designated image output device. Further, thisprogram can be recorded on a recording medium which can be read by acomputer.

A fortieth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: a plurality of image output devices which are respectivelyconnected to a network, and which output images on the basis of imagedata and information relating to output formats of images, which imagedata and information are transmitted via the network; an image datainput device for input of image data; a display-and-input device atwhich is displayed an operation screen which is generated on the basisof a signal for generating the operation screen, and which is for input,from the operation screen which is displayed, of information whichdesignates an image output device which is to output an image, andinformation which relates to the output format of the image to beoutputted from the image output device which is designated; atransmitting device which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits, via the network, information inputted from thedisplay-and-input device and image data inputted from the image datainput device, and which receives, via the network, the signal forgenerating the operation screen; and a management device which isconnected to the network, and which, on the basis of attributeinformation of each of the plurality of image output devices, generatesand transmits, to the transmitting device, the signal for generating theoperation screen, and when information relating to the output format ofthe image and the image data are transmitted from the transmittingdevice, the management device confirms whether or not the image outputdevice which is designated is currently operating, and if the imageoutput device which is designated is currently operating, the managementdevice holds the information relating to the output format of the imageand the image data which information and image data are transmitted fromthe transmitting device, and when operation of the image output devicewhich is designated is completed, the management device outputs, to theimage output device which is designated, the information relating to theoutput format of the image and the image data which are held.

In accordance with this aspect, the image output device is connected toa network such as a LAN or the like, and outputs images on the basis ofimage data and information relating to the output format of the image,which image data and output format are transmitted via the network.Examples of the information relating to the output format of the imageinclude the sheet size, the number of sets to be outputted, and thelike. The image output device is, for example, a network printer whichcan be connected to a network. An image, which is based on the imagedata transmitted via the network, is printed onto a recording paper atthe sheet size and the number of sets which are designated by theinformation relating to the output format of the image. Note that, here,the term “image” encompasses document text images which are onlycharacters, and images including characters and photographs, pictures,and the like.

The image data input device is for input of image data. For example, ascanner or facsimile for reading an original by using a reading sensorsuch as a CCD, or a computer for reading image data stored in anexternal storage device, or the like, may be used as the image datainput device.

The display-and-input device displays the operation screen which isgenerated on the basis of a signal for generating the operation screen.Then, information designating the image output device which is to outputthe image, and information relating to the output format of the image tobe outputted from the designated image output device can be inputtedfrom the displayed operation screen.

The transmitting device is connected to the network, and transmits, viathe network, information inputted from the display-and-input device,i.e., information designating the image output device which is to outputthe image and information relating to the output format of the image tobe outputted from the designated image output device, as well as theimage data which is inputted from the image data input device. Further,the transmitting device receives, via the network, the signal forgenerating the operation screen. The display-and-input device generatesand displays the operation screen by the received signal for generatingthe operation screen.

The management device is connected to the network, and on the basis ofthe attribute information of each of the plurality of image outputdevices, generates a signal for generating an operation screen andtransmits the signal to the transmitting device. Examples of theattribute information include information expressing whether the imageoutput device is for black-and-white printing or color printing,information expressing whether the image output device has a functionfor printing both sides of a sheet, information expressing whether theimage output device has a finisher (a stapling function), informationexpressing the location of the image output device (the floor, thedepartment or the like where the image output device is located in asingle building, or the department or the like where the image outputdevice is located in another building), information expressing whetherthe image output device is high resolution or not, informationexpressing the sizes of sheets which can be printed, and the like. Byusing these attribute information, an operation screen common to theplurality of image output devices can be generated.

When information relating to the output format of the image and theimage data are transmitted from the transmitting device, the managementdevice confirms whether or not the designated image output device iscurrently operating. If the designated image output device is currentlyoperating, the management device holds the information relating to theoutput format of the image and the image data, which were transmittedfrom the transmitting device. Namely, even if the image output devicewhich is designated is currently operating, the information relating tothe output format of the image and the image data, which are transmittedfrom the transmitting device, are received. Then, when the operation ofthe designated image output device is completed, the held informationrelating to the output format of the image and image data are outputtedto the designated image output device.

In this way, even if the designated image output device is currentlyoperating, the information relating to the output format of the imageand the image data, which are transmitted from the transmitting device,are held. After operation of the designated image output device has beencompleted, the held information relating to the output format of theimage and held image data are outputted to the designated image outputdevice. Thus, the efficiency of using the image output device can beimproved.

Further, when the designated image output device is currently operating,the management device may transmit, to the transmitting device, a signalfor generating an operation screen which expresses that the image outputdevice is currently operating. In this way, the fact that the designatedimage output device is currently being used can be displayed at thedisplay-and-input device. Thus, the user can easily learn that thedesignated image output device is currently being used.

Note that, if the designated image output device is currently operating,the held information relating to the output format of the image and theheld image data may be cancelled, and a different image output devicecan be designated.

Further, the image output device may also have an operation device fordisplaying the operation screen and for operating the image operationdevice. In this case, even if the operation device is being operated,i.e., even if the image output device is currently operating, themanagement device holds the information relating to the output format ofthe image and the image data. Thus, the display-and-input device and theoperation device of the image output device can be operatedindependently, and these respective devices can be used independently.

A forty first aspect of the present invention is an input control deviceapplied to a dispersed-type copy system in which an image output deviceis made to output, via a network, image data which is read at an imagedata input device, wherein the input control device receives, as a copyinstruction, a series of operations from input of image data by theimage data input device to output by the image output device, and evenif the image output device is currently operating, the input controldevice receives the copy instruction.

A forty second aspect of the present invention is an image managementdevice of a dispersed-type copy system in which an image output deviceis made to output, via a network, image data which is read at an imagedata input device, the image management device comprising: controlsection for effecting control such that a series of operations frominput of image data by the image data input device to output by theimage output device is received as a copy instruction, and even if theimage output device is currently operating, the copy instruction isreceived.

Functions to be executed at the image management system can be easilyimplemented at any computer by making the program for executing theabove-described processing functions portable by storing it on thefollowing medium and by executing the program, which is stored on themedium, at a computer. A forty third aspect of the present invention isa storage medium on which is stored an image management program of adispersed-type copy system in which an image output device is made tooutput, via a network, image data which is read at an image data inputdevice, wherein the image management program makes control be effectedsuch that a series of operations from input of image data by the imagedata input device to output by the image output device are made to bereceived as a copy instruction, and even if the image output device iscurrently operating, the copy instruction is made to be received.

Further, by executing the following program on a computer, theabove-described processing functions can easily be implemented. A fortyfourth aspect of the present invention is an image management program ofa dispersed-type copy system in which an image output device is made tooutput, via a network, image data which is read at an image data inputdevice, wherein the image management program makes control be effectedsuch that a series of operations from input of image data by the imagedata input device to output by the image output device are made to bereceived as a copy instruction, and even if the image output device iscurrently operating, the copy instruction is made to be received.

A forty fifth aspect of the present invention is a management deviceused in an image output system which is formed by a plurality of imageoutput devices, which output images on the basis of image data, beingconnected to a network, wherein the management device is connected tothe network, and registers a job based on image data transmitted via thenetwork, and transmits a registered job to an image output device whichis designated, and if a valid term of the registered job has elapsed,the management device erases the registered job.

In accordance with this aspect of the invention, at the managementdevice, a job based on image data is received via the network andregistered. The registered job is transmitted to the image outputdevice. The image output device is made to output the job, i.e., animage based on image data. After the valid term has passed, themanagement device erases the registered job.

A forty sixth aspect of the present invention is a job managing methodin an image output system which is formed by a plurality of image outputdevices, which output images on the basis of image data, being connectedto a network, the job managing method comprising the steps ofregistering a job which is based on image data transmitted via thenetwork, and transmitting the job to an image output device which isdesignated; and if a valid term of a registered job has elapsed, erasingthe registered job.

In accordance with this aspect of the invention, a job based on imagedata is received via the network and registered. The registered job istransmitted to the image output device. The image output device is madeto output the job, i.e., an image based on image data. After the validterm has passed, the registered job is erased.

Namely, in the forty fifth and forty sixth aspects of the presentinvention, for image data for which output is unnecessary if the imagedata has not been outputted by a predetermined time, the period of timeuntil that predetermined time is set as the valid term of the job, andthe job is automatically erased if it has not been outputted by thepredetermined time. Thus, output of unnecessary images can be prevented.Further, in the same way, for image data for which there is thepossibility of re-output, the period of time over which the data shouldbe held for re-output is set as the valid term of the job, and the imagedata remains as a job for re-output during that valid term. Thus, thejob can be outputted plural times, and when the valid term has elapsed,the job is automatically erased from the memory. Thus, wasteful use ofmemory resources can be prevented.

Namely, a job can be automatically deleted when the valid term thereofhas elapsed. Therefore, even if the operator does not search for anddelete an unnecessary job, from among registered jobs or stored jobs forre-output, the unnecessary job can be deleted by the simple work ofmerely inputting the valid term. Further, there is no fear that a neededjob will be mistakenly deleted by an operational error of the operator.

Further, when a job at the image output device which is designated iscompleted, the management device may erase the registered job.

A forty seventh aspect of the present invention is an image outputsystem comprising: (a) a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; (b) an image inputdevice including: (1) image data input section for input of image data;(2) information input section for input of information designating animage output device which is to output an image, and informationexpressing a valid term of a job which is based on image data inputtedfrom the image data input section; and (3) transmitting section which isconnected to the network, and which transmits, via the network, imagedata inputted from the image data input section and information inputtedfrom the information input section; and (c) a management device which isconnected to the network, and which registers a job which is based onimage data transmitted via the network, and which transmits a registeredjob to an image output device which is designated, and if a valid termof the registered job has elapsed, the management device erases theregistered job.

A forty eighth aspect of the present invention is an image input deviceused in an image output system including: a plurality of image outputdevices which are respectively connected to a network, and which outputimages on the basis of image data transmitted via the network; and amanagement device which is connected to the network, and which registersa job which is based on image data transmitted via the network, andwhich transmits a registered job to an image output device which isdesignated, and if a valid term of the job has elapsed, the managementdevice erases the registered job, and the image input device comprises:image data input section for input of image data; information inputsection for input of information designating an image output devicewhich is to output an image, and information expressing a valid term ofa job which is based on image data inputted from the image data inputsection; and transmitting section which is connected to the network, andwhich transmits, via the network, image data inputted from the imagedata input section and information inputted from the information inputsection.

A forty ninth aspect of the present invention is a management deviceused in an image output system which includes: (a) a plurality of imageoutput devices which are respectively connected to a network, and whichoutput images on the basis of image data transmitted via the network;and (b) an image input device including: (1) image data input sectionfor input of image data; (2) information input section for input ofinformation designating an image output device which is to output animage, and information expressing a valid term of a job which is basedon image data inputted from the image data input section; and (3)transmitting section which is connected to the network, and whichtransmits, via the network, image data inputted from the image datainput section and information inputted from the information inputsection, wherein the management device is connected to the network, andregisters a job which is based on image data transmitted via thenetwork, and transmits a registered job to an image output device whichis designated, and if a valid term of the registered job has elapsed,the management device erases the registered job.

A fiftieth aspect of the present invention is a job managing method inan image output system which is formed by: (a) a plurality of imageoutput devices which output images on the basis of image data; (b) amanagement device which manages the plurality of image output devices;and (c) an image input device including: (1) image data input sectionfor input of image data, and (2) information input section for input ofinformation designating an image output device which is to output animage, and information expressing a valid term of a job which is basedon image data inputted from the image data input section, beingrespectively connected to a network, the job managing method comprisingthe steps of transmitting, from the image input device to the managementdevice, image data inputted from the image data input section andinformation inputted from the information input section; at themanagement device, registering a job on the basis of the image datatransmitted from the input device, and transmitting a registered job toan image output device which is designated; and if a valid term of aregistered job has elapsed, erasing the registered job.

Next, the image output system of the forty seventh aspect and the jobmanaging method of the fiftieth aspect will be described together withthe image input device of the forty eighth aspect and the managementdevice of the forty ninth aspect.

The image input device includes an image data input section and aninformation input section. The image data, which is inputted from theimage input section, and the information, which designates the imageoutput device which is to output an image, and the information, whichexpresses the valid term of the job, which information are inputted fromthe information input section, are transmitted to the management devicevia the network. When this data and information are received, themanagement device registers a job based on the image data, and transmitsthe registered job to the image output device. The management devicemakes the image output device output the job, i.e., an image based onthe image data, and deletes the registered job when the valid term haselapsed.

In this way, for image data, for which output is unnecessary if outputhas not been carried out by a predetermined time, if the operatorinputs, from the information input device and as the valid term of thejob, the period of time until that predetermined time, if output is notcarried out by that predetermined time, the job is automatically erased.Thus, output of unnecessary images can be prevented. Further, in thesame way, for image data for which there is the possibility ofre-output, if the operator inputs, from the information input device andas the valid term of the job, the period of time over which that imagedata is to be held for re-output, the image data will remain as a jobfor re-output throughout that valid term. Thus, the image data can beoutputted plural times, and when the valid term elapses, the job isautomatically erased from the memory. Thus, wasteful use of memoryresources can be prevented.

Namely, a job can be automatically deleted when the valid term thereofhas elapsed. Therefore, even if the operator does not search for anddelete an unnecessary job, from among the registered jobs or the storedjobs for re-output, the unnecessary job can be deleted by the simplework of merely inputting the valid term. Further, there is no fear thata needed job will be mistakenly deleted by an operational error of theoperator.

Further, if a job at the image output device which is designated iscompleted before expiration of the valid term, the management device mayerase the registered job.

A fifty first aspect of the present invention is a management deviceused in an image output system which is formed by a plurality of imageoutput devices, which output images on the basis of image data, and animage input device, which inputs image data, being respectivelyconnected to a network, wherein the management device monitors imageinput and output operations at the image input device and the imageoutput devices, and if a predetermined event occurs, transmits, to anotification destination which is designated in advance, a signal forgiving notice of occurrence of the event.

A fifty second aspect of the present invention is an event notifyingmethod in an image output system which is formed by a plurality of imageoutput devices, which output images on the basis of image data, and animage input device, which inputs image data, being respectivelyconnected to a network, the event notifying method comprising the stepsof: monitoring image input and output operations at the image inputdevice and the image output devices; and if a predetermined eventoccurs, transmitting, to a notification destination which is designatedin advance, a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the event.

In accordance with the inventions of the fifty first and fifty secondaspects, image data is inputted by the image input device, and an imageis outputted by the image output device on the basis of that image data.The image input and output operations are monitored, and if anpredetermined event occurs, a signal, which is for giving notice thatthe event has occurred, is transmitted to a notification destinationwhich is designated in advance. In this way, even if the operator movesaway from the image input device, if a notification destination, atwhich the operator can receive the notification in advance, isdesignated, the signal for giving notice that the event has occurred istransmitted to that notification destination. Therefore, the operatorcan reliably be informed of the occurrence of the event.

A fifty third aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: (a) a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; (b) an image inputdevice including: (1) image data input section for input of image data;(2) information input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and (3) transmitting section which is connected to thenetwork, and which transmits, via the network, image data inputted fromthe image data input section and information inputted from theinformation input section; and (c) a management device which isconnected to the network, and which monitors image input and outputoperations at the image input device and the image output devices, andif the event occurs, the management device transmits a signal for givingnotice of occurrence of the event to a designated notificationdestination on the basis of the information designating the notificationdestination of the event.

A fifty fourth aspect of the present invention is a management deviceused in an image output system including: (a) a plurality of imageoutput devices which are respectively connected to a network, and whichoutput images on the basis of image data transmitted via the network;and (b) an image input device including: (1) image data input sectionfor input of image data; (2) information input section for input ofinformation designating a notification destination of an event relatingto image input and output operations; and (3) transmitting section whichis connected to the network and which transmits, via the network, imagedata inputted from the image data input section and information inputtedfrom the information input section, wherein the management device isconnected to the network, and monitors image input and output operationsat the image input device and the image output devices, and if the eventoccurs, the management device transmits a signal for giving notice ofoccurrence of the event to a designated notification destination on thebasis of the information designating the notification destination of theevent.

A fifty fifth aspect of the present invention is an event notifyingmethod in an image output system which is formed by: a plurality ofimage output devices which output images on the basis of image data; animage input device including: image data input section for input ofimage data, and information input section for input of informationdesignating a notification destination of an event relating to imageinput and output operations; and a management device which monitorsimage input and output operations at the image input device and theimage output devices, being respectively connected to the network, theevent notifying method comprising the steps of transmitting, from theimage input device to the management device, the information designatingthe notification destination of the event, which information is inputtedfrom the information input section; and when the event relating to imageinput and output operations occurs, transmitting a signal for givingnotice of occurrence of the event, by the management device and on thebasis of the information designating the notification destination of theevent and to the designated notification destination.

The image output system of the fifty third aspect and the eventnotifying method of the fifty fifth aspect will be explained togetherwith the management device of the fifty fourth aspect.

The image input device includes the image data input section and theinformation input section. At the image output device, an image isoutputted on the basis of image data which has been inputted from theimage data input section and which has been transmitted via the network.The information, which designates an event notification destination andwhich is inputted from the information input section, is transmitted tothe management device via the network. At the management device, theimage input and output operations at the image input device and theimage output device are monitored. In a case in which an event relatingto image input and output operations occurs, on the basis of thereceived information which designates the event notificationdestination, a signal for giving notice that the event has occurred istransmitted to the designated notification destination. In this way,even if the operator moves away from the image input device, the signal,which gives notice that an event has occurred, is transmitted to thenotification destination which the operator designated. Thus, theoperator can reliably be notified of the occurrence of the event.

The notification destination of the event can be made to be changeableover time, or can be made to be changeable per job, or can be set incommon in advance. Further, it is possible to enable selection, per job,of whether occurrence of an event should be notified or not notified.

A fifty sixth aspect of the present invention is an image output systemcomprising: (a) a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; (b) an image inputdevice including: (1) image data input section for input of image data;and (2) image data transmitting section which is connected to thenetwork and which transmits, via the network, image data inputted fromthe image data input section; (c) an information input device including:(1) information input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and (2) information transmitting section which is connectedto the network and which transmits, via the network, informationinputted from the information input section; and (d) a management devicewhich is connected to the network, and which monitors image input andoutput operations at the image input device and the image outputdevices, and which, if the event occurs, transmits, to a designatednotification destination, a signal for giving notice of occurrence ofthe event.

A fifty seventh aspect of the present invention is a management deviceused in an image output system including: (a) a plurality of imageoutput devices which are respectively connected to a network, and whichoutput images on the basis of image data transmitted via the network;(b) an image input device including: (1) image data input section forinput of image data; and (2) image data transmitting section which isconnected to the network and which transmits, via the network, imagedata inputted from the image data input section; and (c) an informationinput device including: (1) information input section for input ofinformation designating a notification destination of an event relatingto image input and output operations; and (2) information transmittingsection which is connected to the network and which transmits, via thenetwork, information inputted from the information input section,wherein the management device is connected to the network, and monitorsimage input and output operations at the image input device and theimage output devices, and if the event occurs, transmits, to adesignated notification destination, a signal for giving notice ofoccurrence of the event.

A fifty eighth aspect of the present invention is an event notifyingmethod in an image output system which is formed by: a plurality ofimage output devices which output images on the basis of image data; animage input device for input of image data; an information input devicefor input of information designating a notification destination of anevent relating to image input and output operations; and a managementdevice which monitors image input and output operations at the imageinput device and the image output devices, being respectively connectedto the network, the event notifying method comprising the steps of:transmitting, from the information input device to the managementdevice, inputted information designating a notification destination ofan event; and when the event relating to image input and outputoperations occurs, transmitting a signal for giving notice of occurrenceof the event, by the management device and on the basis of theinformation designating the notification destination of the event and tothe designated notification destination.

The image output system of the fifty sixth aspect and the eventnotifying method of the fifty eighth aspect will be explained togetherwith the management device of the fifty seventh aspect.

At the image output device, an image is outputted on the basis of imagedata which has been inputted from the image input device (image datainput section) and which has been transmitted via the network. At theinformation input device, the information, which designates an eventnotification destination and which is inputted from the informationinput section, is transmitted to the management device via the network.At the management device, the image input and output operations at theimage input device and the image output device are monitored. In a casein which an event relating to image input and output operations occurs,on the basis of the received information which designates the eventnotification destination, a signal for giving notice that the event hasoccurred is transmitted to the designated notification destination. Inthis way, even if an information input device, for inputting theinformation for designating the event notification destination, isprovided separately from the image input device, in the same way as inthe first, third and fifth aspects, even if the operator moves away fromthe image input device, the signal, which gives notice that an event hasoccurred, is transmitted to the notification destination which theoperator designated. Thus, the operator can reliably be notified of theoccurrence of the event.

The notification destination of the event can be made to be changeableover time, or can be made to be changeable per job, or can be set incommon in advance. Further, it is possible to enable selection, per job,of whether occurrence of an event should be notified or not notified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a printsystem.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a scanner.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a printer.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a server.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by the printer.

FIG. 6A is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by the server.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by the server.

FIG. 7A is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by the scanner.

FIG. 7B is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by the scanner.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an initial screen which is displayed on adisplay panel at a time of start-up of the scanner.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a menu screen for service selection.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation screen for carrying out outputmethod/storage destination designation.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an operation screen for printing.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an individual number of sets designationscreen for designating a number of output sets for each printer.

FIG. 13A is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by a server of a modified example of a first embodiment.

FIG. 13B is a flowchart for explaining a processing routine which isexecuted by a server of a modified example of a first embodiment.

FIG. 14A is a processing routine which is executed by a controller ofthe server.

FIG. 14B is a processing routine which is executed by a controller ofthe server.

FIG. 15A is a processing routine which is executed by a controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 15B is a processing routine which is executed by a controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 16 is a start-up processing routine (sub-routine) executed by thecontroller at the time of start-up of the scanner.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an error screen which reportserrors at the time of start-up of the scanner.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen for imagereading.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an error screen which reportserrors at the time of image reading of the scanner.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen forprinting.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of an error screen which reportserrors of the server.

FIG. 22A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 22B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 23A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at thescanner.

FIG. 23B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at thescanner.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen of scannerfunctions.

FIG. 25A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 25B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 26 is a schematic structural view of a client.

FIG. 27A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theclient.

FIG. 27B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theclient.

FIG. 28 is an example of a screen in a case in which a storagedestination of a file for recopying is designated.

FIG. 29 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of new copying.

FIG. 30 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of recopying.

FIG. 31 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of new copying.

FIG. 32 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of new copying.

FIG. 33 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of recopying.

FIG. 34 is an example of a setting screen of respective functions at atime of recopying.

FIG. 35A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 35B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at theserver.

FIG. 36A is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at thescanner.

FIG. 36B is a flowchart of a control routine which is executed at thescanner.

FIG. 37A is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe server.

FIG. 37B is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe server.

FIG. 38A is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 38B is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 39 is a job monitoring processing routine which is executed, in aninterrupting manner, by the controller of the server.

FIG. 40 is an example of an operation screen which is displayed in orderto designate a storage destination.

FIG. 41 is an example of an operation screen which is displayed in orderto designate a storage term.

FIG. 42 is an example of an operation screen which is displayed in orderto designate a destruction time.

FIG. 43A is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe server.

FIG. 43B is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe server.

FIG. 44A is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 44B is a processing routine which is executed by the controller ofthe scanner.

FIG. 45 is an event monitoring processing routine which is executed, inan interrupting manner, by the controller of the server.

FIG. 46 is an example of an operation screen for event notificationsetting which is displayed in order to set event notification of thescanner.

FIG. 47 is an example of an operation screen for event notificationsetting which is displayed in order to set event notification of theprinter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1,a print system of the present embodiment is structured by a scanner 12,which serves as an image data input device which inputs image data, aserver 14, printers 16 ₁, 16 ₂ (not show in the drawings), . . . 16_(n), which are a plurality of image output devices, and a plurality ofclients 18 ₁, 18 ₂ (not show in the drawings), . . . 18 _(n), beingconnected to a network 10 which is formed by the internet, a LAN or thelike. The image data is expressed in, for example TIFF (Tagged ImageFile Format). Further, a multifunction device 30, which is provided witha printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile device function,is connected to the network 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the scanner is provided with a scanner portion 12Aequipped with a CCD which reads an image recorded on an original; adisplay panel 12B (preferably structured by superposing touch panels ona liquid crystal display board) which displays an operation screen forprinting equipped with a plurality of icons, and which functions as auser interface for the input of data, such as the printing format(output format) of a printer or the like, by the displayed icons beingtouched; a controller 12C for controlling the entire scanner; a memory12D which stores image data read by the scanner portion 12A and thelike; and an input/output port 12E for the input and output of data. Thescanner portion 12A, the display panel 12B, the controller 12C, thememory 12D, and the input/output port 12E are connected to one anothervia a bus. The input/output port 12E is connected to the network 10 viaa communications control unit 12F which carries out communications, viathe network, with devices connected to the network.

The user interface, which is for the input of data from the operationscreen for printing which is equipped with plural icons, is divided intouser interface parts, which are elements of screen information such asicons, buttons, scroll bars, frames and the like, and attributeinformation of the printer 16 which is expressed by text data. The userinterface parts (icon information) are stored in the memory 12D of thescanner, and the attribute information of the printer 16 is stored inthe server 14 as will be describe later. Note that the screeninformation can be created by, for example, HTML (Hypertext MakeupLanguage).

In this way, the user interface is divided into the user interface partsand the attribute information, which are stored so as to be dividedbetween the scanner 12 and the server 14. Thus, in a case in which datafor forming the user interface is transmitted to the scanner 12 from theserver 14, the amount of data transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 can be made small, and the user interface can thereby quicklybe displayed on the display panel 12B. Note that the program ofprocessing routine, which will be described later, is also stored in thememory 12D.

Note that it is possible for the user interface, which displays theoperation screen for printing, to not be stored in a divided manner, andfor all of the information to be generated at the server 14 andtransmitted to a controller 12C of the scanner 12.

Further, in place of the scanner 12, image data, which is in electronicform and which is recorded on a storage medium such as an FD, a CD-ROMor the like, may be read and inputted. Or, image data may be inputtedfrom a facsimile or a database by using a personal computer. Or, imagedata may be inputted by using mail software which is installed in apersonal computer.

The printers 16 ₁, 16 ₂, . . . 16 _(n) have substantially the samestructures, and the different points thereof are only their attributes.Thus, with reference to FIG. 3, description will be given of oneprinter, and description of the other printers will be omitted. Notethat, in the following explanation, in cases in which a printer isdescribed without particularly differentiating the respective printers,the printer will be referred to as “printer 16”, with the subscript atthe end thereof omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 16 is equipped with a printer portion16A which records an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitivebody, and develops the electrostatic latent image by using a monochrometoner or a color toner, and transfers and outputs the developed imageonto a recording sheet which is a recording medium; a display panel 16B,such as a touch panel or the like, which displays an operation screenand which is for operating the printer 16 by icons of the displayedoperation screen being touched or the like; a controller 16C whichcontrols the entire printer 16; a memory 16D which stores received imagedata and data of the output format and the like, and which stores, inadvance, the program of a processing routine which will be describedlater, and the like; and an input/output port 16E for the input andoutput of data. The printer portion 16A, the display panel 16B, thecontroller 16C, the memory 16D and the input/output port 16E areconnected to one another by a bus. The input/output port 16E isconnected to the network 10 via a communications control unit 16F whichcarries out communications, via the network, with devices connected tothe network.

A driver 20, which reads and inputs data recorded on a CD-ROM drive, aFDD, a CD-RW drive (which are external storage devices) and the like,and which can write data as well, and a facsimile device 22, and adatabase 24, which stores attribute information and the like of all ofthe printers 16 connected to the network, are connected to the server14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the server 14 is equipped with a controller 14Awhich controls the entire server; a memory 14B which stores receiveddata, and which stores in advance program of mailer which carries outtransmitting and receiving of mail, and program for carrying out controlof transmission and receipt of the facsimile device, and program of aprocessing routine which will be described later, and the like; aninterface 14C which is connected to the driver 20 which is formed by aCD-ROM writer or the like; a driving device 14D which drives thefacsimile device 22; a file system 14E which is connected to thedatabase 24; and an input/output port 14F for the input and output ofdata. The controller 14A, the memory 14B, the interface 14C, the drivingdevice 14D, the file system 14E, and the input/output port 14F areconnected to one another via a bus. The input/output port 14F isconnected to the network 10 via a communications control unit 14G whichcarries out communications, via the network, with devices connected tothe network.

A database server, which is connected to the network, may be providedseparately from the server 14, and the database 24 may be connected tothis database server.

The clients 18 ₁, 18 ₂, . . . 18 _(n) are formed by personal computerswhich are equipped with communications control units for carrying out,via the network, communications with devices connected to the network.

Processing routines, which are executed by the respective controllers ofthe scanner, the server and the printer of the present embodiment, willbe described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 5 through 7. Theseprocessing routines are divided into routines for attribute informationregistration processing, operation screen display processing, printinginstructing processing, and printing processing, and each will bedescribed separately hereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

Attribute information registration processing is a processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, the attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

In a case in which the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, byoperating an operation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14 or byoperating management tool software provided at the server 14 from theclient 18 which is connected to the server 14 via the network, attributeinformation registration processing for registering the attributeinformation of the printer 16 in the server 14 is carried out. Namely,at the server 14, by an instruction to the management tool software, instep 108 of FIG. 6, when it is judged that there is an attributeinformation registration processing request, in step 109, a registrationprocessing request signal, which requests registration processing ofprinter attribute information, is transmitted from the server 14 to theprinter 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, a determination is made as towhether a registration processing request signal has been received. If aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from the printer16 to the server 14.

In step 110, the server 14 judges whether attribute informationtransmitted from the printer 16 has been received. If attributeinformation has been received, in step 112, the file system 14E iscontrolled, and the attribute information of the printer 16 isregistered in the database 24.

When the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, the printer 16 mayautomatically transmit the attribute information to the server 14, andthe registration of the attribute information in the database 24 may becarried out automatically. Or, the attribute information of the printer16 may be detected by the server 14, and the detected attributeinformation may be registered in the database. Further, the displaypanel 16B provided at the printer 16 may be operated so as to registerthe attribute information of the printer 16 in the server 14. In thisway, the attribute information of all of the printers 16 connected tothe network 10 are registered in the database 24 connected to the server14.

Examples of attribute information of the printer 16 are informationexpressing whether the printer 16 is for black-and-white printing or forcolor printing; information expressing whether the printer 16 has afunction for printing on both sides of a sheet; information expressingwhether the printer 16 has a finisher (a function for stapling or afunction for punching holes or the like); information expressing whetherthe printer 16 is high resolution or low resolution; informationexpressing the size of sheets which can be printed; information relatingto the types of fonts that the printer 16 is equipped with; informationrelating to the output format such as color characteristic informationlike a particular color map or color adjusting information or the likein the case of a color printer; information of network settings such asthe IP address, information relating to the place where the printer isset (the floors or departments or the like when printers are set in onebuilding, or the departments or the like when printers are set indifferent buildings), and the like; and information for identifying theprinter 16 such as information of the printer name or the like. All ofthe information relating to the output formats and output conditions ofthe printers 16 are registered in the database as attribute information.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the scanner 12 is activated, at the display panel 12B of thescanner 12, first, the initial screen (start-up screen) shown in FIG. 8is displayed. Next, the menu screen for service selection shown in FIG.9 is displayed. At the menu screen, as shown in FIG. 9, serviceselection buttons 200, which are displayed by icons, are displayed. Whena button 200A is clicked on, the copy (printing) service is selected.When a button 200B is clicked on, the scanner service is selected.

When an operator presses the button 200A and selects the copy servicefrom the menu screen shown in FIG. 9 which is displayed on the displaypanel 12B of the scanner 12, the operation screen for carrying outdesignation of the output method/storage destination shown in FIG. 10 isdisplayed. This operation screen includes a group display portion 202which displays, in groups which were registered in advance by operationof an operator, the printers 16 which are connected to the network 10; asetting portion 204 for setting the output method and the like; and aten-key portion 206. Selection buttons 205 for the output method and thelike which are displayed by icons, are displayed in the setting portion204. The choices for the output method are “Do not divide output” forone job to be outputted from one printer without being divided; “Outputequally (equal output)” for the inputted number of sets to be dividedand outputted to plural printers such that the outputted sets from therespective printers are equal; “Output same order (same order output)”for a number of sets, which is equal to the inputted number of sets, tobe outputted from each of the printers; “Designate sets individually(individual set designation)” for designating plural printers and fordesignating the number of sets for each printer; and “Carry out bestmatching (best match)” for designating output conditions and forselecting and outputting from the printer which is the most suited tothose conditions. By clicking on the selection button 205, one of theoutput methods can be selected. In the operation screen shown in FIG.10, a state is shown in which “Same order output”, by which a number ofsets equal to the inputted number of sets is outputted from eachprinter, is selected as the output method.

When the operator selects one group of the printers 16 displayed in thegroup display portion 202 of the operation screen, in step 154 of FIG.7, it is judged that there is an instruction for display of operationscreen for printing. In step 156, in order to generate an operationscreen generating request signal, an operation screen for printing istransmitted to the server 14 from the scanner 12. Further, it ispossible for only information expressing that a group of printers 16 hasbeen selected to be transmitted from the scanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 114 of FIG. 6 that anoperation screen generating request signal transmitted from the scanner12 has been received, in step 116, the status of the printer 16connected to the network 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the operationscreen generating request signal and the registered attributeinformation of the printer 16, attribute information for generating anoperation screen for printing of the designated printer 16 is generated.In step 118, the generated attribute information is transmitted to thescanner 12.

A request signal, for display of the attribute information of all of theprinters 16 connected to the network 10, or for display of only theattribute information of the printers 16 equipped with a color printingfunction, or for display of attribute information of only the printers16 of a group designated in advance, or the like, can be transmitted asthe operation screen generating request signal.

At this time, by confirming the status of the designated printer 16, ina case in which there exists a printer 16 which is down due to an errorsuch as the power being off, a paper jam, no sheets being accommodatedin the tray, or the like, the server 14 generates attribute informationfor generating an operation screen for printing such that the attributeinformation of the printer 16 which is down is not displayed. At thistime, information for displaying an operation screen for printing whichdisplays error information expressing, for the printer 16 that is down,that the printer 16 is down, may be generated.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 158 of FIG. 7 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner 12 generatesthe operation screen for printing which is shown in FIG. 11. In step160, the generated operation screen for printing is displayed on thedisplay panel 12B as the user interface. The operation screen forprinting is formed so as to include the group display portion 202; aparameter setting portion 208 for setting output parameters expressingthe image data output format such as the paper size, theenlargement/reduction magnification, and the like; and the ten-keyportion 206. Parameter selection buttons 210 displayed by icons aredisplayed in the parameter setting portion 208.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 162 in FIG. 7 on to steps 164 and 166, and movesfrom step 114 in FIG. 6 on to steps 120 and 122, and operation screenchanging processing is carried out. In this operation screen changingprocessing, as shown in steps 156 through 160 of FIG. 7 and in steps 114through 118 of FIG. 6, a new operation screen generating request signalis transmitted to the server 14 in accordance with the operation of thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12, and attribute information forgenerating a new operation screen for printing is generated by theserver 14, and the generated attribute information is transmitted. As aresult, the display of the operation screen for printing is changed inaccordance with operation using the operation screen for printing of thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12.

To describe the operation screen changing processing in further detail,by operation of the operation screen for printing shown in FIG. 11 ofthe display panel 12B of the scanner 12, a group of printers 16displayed in the group display portion 202 of the operation screen forprinting is selected, and the printers 16 belonging to the group aredesignated. When an operation screen generating request signal forsetting output instructions to the printers belonging to the designatedgroup is transmitted, at the server 14, the logical product of theattribute information of the printers 16 belonging to the group iscomputed. The attribute information common to the printers 16 belongingto the group is selected, and the common attribute information istransmitted to the scanner 12. In this way, an operation screen forprinting, which displays a group of printers 16 and attributeinformation common to the group, is newly generated and displayed.

When a plurality of printers 16 are registered as one group, theoperator selects attribute information expressing the function which isto be grouped. When an operation screen generating request signal fordisplaying the printers 16 having that attribute information istransmitted to the server 14, all of the printers 16 equipped with theselected attribute are displayed. Thus, by the operator selecting, fromthe screen, the printers 16 which are to be grouped and giving agrouping instruction to the server 14, grouping can be carried out.

In the screen shown in FIG. 10, when the operator selects, as the outputmethod, the “Do not separate output” button so that one job will beoutputted without being divided, and selects one group of printers 16displayed in the group display portion 202, a list (not shown) of theprinters 16 belonging to the selected group is displayed. Or, a list(not shown) of the single printers 16 which are not grouped may bedisplayed in the group display portion 202. When individual printer 16is selected from this printer list, at the server 14, the attributeinformation of the selected printer 16 is selected and transmitted tothe scanner 12. An operation screen for printing, which displays theattribute information of the selected printer 16, is generated and isdisplayed on the display panel 12B of the scanner 12.

When attribute information of the outputting printers 16, i.e., theoutput conditions, are designated, and display (best match) of theprinters 16 which are the most suited to the conditions is selected asthe output method, at the server 14, the logical sum of the attributeinformation of the printers 16 belonging to the group selected as theoutput destination is computed. The attribute information of theprinters 16 based on these results of computation is transmitted to thescanner 12. At the scanner 12, an operation screen for printing isgenerated and displayed on the display panel 12B. All of the attributeinformation which can be selected by the operator can be displayed in alist by this screen.

When “individual set designation” is selected as the output method andone group of the printers 16 displayed at the group display portion 202is selected, the individual number of sets designation screen shown inFIG. 12, which displays the number of sets per printer 16 belonging tothe selected group, is displayed. The operator can set the number ofsets to be outputted for each printer from this individual number ofsets designation screen. Then, an operation screen for printing isdisplayed for each of the printers 16 which is to carry out output.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

The operator confirms the attribute information of the printers 16 bythe operation screen for printing shown in FIG. 11. Thereafter, from theoperation screen for printing, the operator sets the output parameterswhich express the image data output format, such as sheet size,enlargement/reduction magnification, and the like, and carries outprinting instruction. Here, the printers 16 are designated and theoutput parameters which determine the output format are set such thatprinted matter can be outputted from the plural printers 16 underdifferent conditions, on the basis of image data (common image data)inputted from the scanner 12 by one operation.

As described above, in a case in which the printers 16 are grouped, aplurality of printers 16, which are equipped with different functions asattributes, are set in advance so as to belong to the same group. On thebasis of the common image data, printed matter can be outputted from theeach of the plural printers 16 which are equipped with differentfunctions as attributes. For example, printed matter may be outputtedfrom each of a printer 16 equipped with a color output function and aprinter 16 equipped with a black-and-white output function. In thiscase, by designating the outputting such that one set is outputted fromthe printer 16 equipped with the color output function and the remainingsets are outputted from the printer 16 equipped with the black-and-whiteoutput function, costs can be reduced as compared with a case in whichall of the sets are color outputted. Further, on the basis of the commonimage data, printed matter may be outputted from each of plural printers16 which have different resolutions. In this case, a designation may becarried out such that one set is outputted from a high resolutionprinter, and the remaining sets are outputted from a low resolutionprinter.

Further, after plural printers 16 for outputting have been designated,when output parameters expressing the image data output format are setfrom the operation screen for printing, different parameters may be setsuch that, for each of the plurality of designated printers 16, theoutput formats, such as the paper size, the recording side(one-sided/both-sided), the presence/absence of a finishing processing,and the like, respectively differ. Further, the number of sets to beoutputted may be designated respectively in accordance with the outputformats. For example, the number of sets to be outputted may bedesignated in accordance with the size (e.g., 1 set of A4 and theremaining sets of B4), or the number of sets to be outputted may bedesignated in accordance with the recording side (e.g., one set ofboth-sided copies, and the remaining sets are single-sided copies), orthe number of sets to be outputted may be designated in accordance withthe presence/absence of finishing processing (e.g., one set to bestapled, and the remaining sets not to be stapled).

As described above, when the operator designates the printer 16 which isto output, and sets the output parameters showing the image data outputformat, and gives a printing instruction, it is judged in step 162 ofFIG. 7 that there is a printing instruction. In step 168, a printingpossibility confirmation signal for confirming whether or not printingis possible by the designated printer 16 is transmitted to the server.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 124 of FIG. 6that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 126, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 128, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 132, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 128 that printing is not possible, in step 130, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 170 of FIG. 7, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in the next step 174, it is judged whetherimage reading (scan starting) has been instructed by the operatorpressing a start button or the like. When it is judged in step 174 thatthere is an image reading instruction, in step 176, the scanner portion12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the set original isread in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is read as commonimage data, and is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as image datain electronic form. Then, in step 178, the output format inputted fromthe operation screen and the image data read from the scanner portion12A are transmitted to the server 14.

On the other hand, in step 170, in a case in which it is judged that aprinting impossible signal has been inputted, in step 172, the operatoris instructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe display panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is tooutput, in the same way as described above, the routine proceeds fromstep 162 to step 168. A printing possibility confirmation signal forconfirming whether or not printing is possible is transmitted to theserver 14. In a case in which a printing possible signal is received instep 170 and it is judged in step 174 that image reading has beeninstructed, the image data recorded on the original is read in step 176,and in step 178, the output format and the image data are transmitted tothe server 14.

Further, in a case in which an instruction is given to execute one jobat a plurality of the printers 16, the higher level job and all of thelower level jobs can be executed in the same way by independentlypositioning the jobs of each of the printers 16 at the lower level ofone job and operating (starting, stopping, restarting, changing,deleting, and the like) the higher level job. Further, the lower leveljobs can be executed independently by being operated independently.

[Printing Processing]

In step 134 of FIG. 6, when it is judged that the output format and theimage data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server 14, instep 136, the status of the printer(s) 16 which has been designated toexecute the job is confirmed. In step 138, it is judged, from theconfirmed status, whether or not printing is possible. If an error hasarisen and printing is not possible at a printer 16 for which printinghas been designated, in step 130, a printing impossible signal istransmitted to the scanner 12. In this way, at the scanner 12, in step180, it is judged that, after transmission of the output format and theimage data, a printing impossible signal was received. As describedabove, in step 172, when the operator is instructed by the operationscreen to re-designate the printer 16 and the operator operates thedisplay panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is to output, aprinting possible signal is received. When start of scanning isinstructed, the image is read, and the output format and image data areagain transmitted to the server 14. Then, until it is judged in step 182that a predetermined time has elapsed, the routine returns to step 180,and it is repeatedly judged whether or not a printing impossible signalhas been received.

Even if the printer 16 is re-designated after the output format andimage data have been transmitted from the scanner 12 to the server 14,usually, there is no change in the output format and image data. Thus,it is possible to not again transmit the output format and image data tothe server 14, and to use as is the output format and image data whichhave already been transmitted to the server 14. Further, in a case inwhich it is necessary to change the output format due to there-designation of the printer 16, it is possible to transmit and changeonly the output format.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 138 that printing ispossible, in step 140, a judgement is made as to whether a plurality ofprinters 16 having different functions have been designated. When aplurality of printers 16 having different functions are designated, instep 142, the image data inputted from the scanner 12 is, as needed,converted into image data which corresponds to the attributes of therespective printers 16. In step 144, an image data output format signal,which expresses the sheet size, the number of sets, and the like, and,if needed, the image data which have been converted, are transmitted viathe network 10 from the server 14 to the printers 16 for which printinghas been designated.

For example, in a case in which a printer 16 equipped with a coloroutput function and a printer 16 equipped with a black-and-white outputfunction are designated, at the scanner 12, an image is read and imagedata, which is in electronic form, is obtained for a printer equippedwith a color output function. Thus, this image data is converted intoimage data for a printer equipped with a black-and-white outputfunction, and transmitted to the printer 16 equipped with ablack-and-white color function. In this case, for example, the averagevalue of R, G, B for each pixel (i.e., (R+G+B/3)) can be used as theimage data for each pixel of the printer equipped with a black-and-whiteoutput function. Note that, in cases in which, as the output format, thesheet sizes, recording sides, number of sets, and the like aredifferent, it is not necessary to convert the image data.

Further, in a case in which a high resolution printer and a lowresolution printer are designated, image data for a high resolutionprinter is obtained at the scanner. Thus, image data, which is convertedby the image data being thinned out every other pixel or every otherseveral pixels, is transmitted to the low resolution printer. Note that,the image may be read at the scanner such that image data for a lowresolution printer is obtained, and the data amount may be increased bypixel interpolation and transmitted to the high resolution printer.

In these image data conversion processings, the image data read by thescanner and the output format designated at the display panel may betransmitted to the server, and conversion processing may be carried outat the server.

Moreover, in a case in which it is judged in step 140 that a pluralityof printers 16 having different functions have not been designated,image data conversion is not carried out, and the image data outputformat signal and the image data are transmitted to the printer(s) 16via the network 10.

At the printer 16, in step 104 of FIG. 5, when it is judged that theoutput format and image data transmitted from the server 14 have beenreceived, in step 106, an image based on the image data is formed on arecording sheet in the designated output format, and the recordingsheet, on which the image has been formed, is outputted.

As described above, in the print system of the present embodiment, onthe basis of image data inputted from the scanner by a single (one-time)operation, output can be carried out from a plurality of printersconnected to the network, under different conditions (e.g.,black-and-white and color, high resolution and low resolution, differentoutput formats, and different numbers of sets to be outputted).

Further, at the scanner, a display panel is provided which displays anoperation screen equipped with plural icons and which functions as auser interface for the input of data, such as the printing format of theprinter or the like, by the displayed icons being touched. Thus, whenimage data is inputted from the scanner, by giving instructions at theoperation screen which is displayed on the display panel, outputparameters are initially set and thereafter, the start button is merelypressed, such that the usual copier is operated, processings fromreading of the original to printing can be carried out automatically.

The attribute information of the printers connected to the network isregistered in the database of the server. Thus, attribute information ofthe printers connected to the network can be extracted from the scanner.Similarly, attribute information of the printers connected to thenetwork can be extracted from clients other than the scanner as well.

Further, at the server, on the basis of the operation screen generatingrequest signal, which is for displaying attribute information of all ofor some of the printers connected to the network, and on the basis ofthe attribute information of the printers connected to the network, textdata for generating an operation screen is generated and is transmittedto the scanner. At the scanner, on the basis of the transmitted textdata and the like, an operation screen is generated, and the generatedoperation screen is displayed on the display panel as a user interface.Thus, a common operation screen can be displayed for a plurality ofprinters having different attributes, and this display panel can beoperated efficiently.

In the present embodiment, an example is described in which, at thescanner, an operation screen is generated on the basis of transmittedtext data and the like, and the generated operation screen is displayedon the display panel as a user interface. However, a user interface maybe provided at a client or at a multifunction device, and may beoperated from the client or the multifunction device. For example, in acase in which the print system of the present embodiment is connected toa multifunction device, the multifunction device can usually be operatedas an independent multifunction device, and when a “network copy mode”is designated, the multifunction device can operate as a user interfacedevice or an image input device or an image output device.

Usually, the multifunction device operates as a multifunction devicewhich displays, on the display panel, a user interface screen which isparticular to the multifunction device, and operates independently.However, if an instruction is given to switch over to the “network copymode”, a request is given to the server connected via the network toobtain information for generating a user interface screen. On the basisof the information which is which is transmitted in from the server, auser interface screen, which enables instructing of settings and outputformats for other devices connected via the network, is displayed on thedisplay panel of the multifunction device. Selection of the printerwhich is the output destination, and setting of the output format arecarried out from this screen. When a network copy start instruction isgiven, if an original is read at the image reading section of themultifunction device, the read image and the information relating to theoutput destination printer and the output format are transmitted to theserver, and printing processing is possible.

In the present embodiment, the output parameters are first set so as tooperate a usual copier, and thereafter, processings from reading of theoriginal to printing are automatically carried out merely by pushing astart button. However, as described hereinafter, after images are readfrom a scanner and accumulated at a scan service, the accumulated imagescan be print outputted by instructing reprinting.

In a case in which images recorded on originals are accumulated, bypressing the “scanner” button 200B in the menu screen shown in FIG. 9,the scan service is selected. The originals are set at the scannerportion 12A and the start button is pressed. In this way, it is judgedthat there is an instruction to read images, and the scanner portion 12Ais controlled such that the images recorded on the originals are read.The read image data is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as imagedata which is in electronic form. In this case, it is preferable thatthe images be read so as to obtain image data to be used in a printerwith better (higher level) functions. For example, in a case in which aprinter equipped with a color output function (a color printer) and aprinter equipped with a black-and-white output function (ablack-and-white printer) are connected, it is preferable to read theimage such that image data for the color printer is obtained. In a casein which a high resolution printer and a low resolution printer areconnected, it is preferable to read the image such that image data forthe high resolution printer is obtained.

When image data is inputted from an external storage device in whichimage data is stored in advance, the above-described image readingprocessing is not necessary. It suffices to store the image data, whichis read from the external storage device by using an unillustratedreading device, as common image data in the memory 12D in one operation.

Next, when an image accumulated by the scan service is to be printed, bypressing a “reprint” button 200C in the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, thereprinting service is selected. In the reprinting service, a desiredimage, from the images accumulated in the memory 12D of the scanner, canbe outputted again by the same processing as in the previously-described“Printing Instructing Processing”.

Further, in the present embodiment, the image read by the scanner istemporarily stored in the memory 12D of the scanner 12, and, at the timeof output to the printers 16, is transmitted to the server 14 from thememory 12D, and is transmitted to the respective printers 16. However,at the time of reading the original, the read image may be transmittedto the server 14 and stored in the server 14, and may be transmitted tothe respective printers 16 at the time of output to the printers 16.Further, the image read by the scanner may be temporarily stored in thememory 12D of the scanner 12, and, at the time of printing, may betransmitted directly from the memory 12D to the printers without beingtransmitted through the server 14.

Moreover, a structure is possible in which the image read by the scanservice is temporarily stored in the memory 12D of the scanner 12, andinformation expressing the stored location of the image is transmittedto the server 14 or the printer 16. At the time of output of the imagefrom the printer 16, the server 14 or the printer 16 reads the image onthe basis of the information expressing the stored location of theimage.

In the above explanation, an example of outputting an image to printerswas described. However, other than printers, images may be outputted tomultifunction devices or facsimile devices. Further, images may beoutputted as electronic mail to other devices (e.g., cellular phones)connected via a network.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, acommon operation screen is displayed for a plurality of image outputdevices having different attributes, and the operation screen can beoperated efficiently. Further, images can be outputted from a pluralityof image output devices on the basis of image data which is inputted bya single operation.

Second Embodiment

In the print system of the first embodiment of the present inventiondescribed above, images are outputted from a plurality of image outputdevices on the basis of image data which is inputted by a singleoperation. However, in a print system of a second embodiment of thepresent invention described later, the images are not necessarilyoutputted from the plurality of image output devices on the basis ofimage data which is inputted by a single operation. Namely, due to anoperation screen which is common for a plurality of image outputdevices, by operating the operation screen which is common for theplurality of image output devices, designation of arbitrary image outputdevices and outputting of images are easily performed. Also, in a casein which the plurality of image output devices are designated bydesignating a group including the plurality of image output devices (theplurality of image output devices are registered in advance as thegroup), it is not necessary that the image output devices included inthe group is selected each, accordingly, the operation becomes furtherefficiently.

The basic structure of a print system of the second embodiment issubstantially the same as that of the first embodiment of the presentinvention. However, the print system of the second embodiment isdifferent from the first embodiment only with respect to the point that(1) in the step 176, it is not necessarily that the images are read by asingle operation with respect to the designated one or a plurality ofthe printers (the images may be read with respect to each of theplurality of the printers), and (2), as shown in FIG. 13, when it isjudged in step 138 that printing is possible, in step 144, an image dataoutput format signal, which expresses the sheet size, the number ofsets, and the like, and the image data inputted from the scanner 12 aretransmitted from the server 14 via the network 10 to the printers 16 forwhich printing is designated. In step 104 of FIG. 5, when it is judgedthat the output format and the image data transmitted from the server 14have been received, in step 106, the printers 16 form images based onthe image data onto recording sheets in the designated output formats,and output the recording sheets on which images have been formed.

In the print system of the present embodiment, the attribute informationof the printers connected to the network is registered in the databaseof the server. Thus, the attribute information of the printers connectedto the network can be extracted from the scanner. Similarly, theattribute information of the printers connected to the network can beextracted from clients other than the scanner.

Third Embodiment

Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

Data of various types of screens (corresponding to screens relating toonly the image input device), which relate only to the scanner 12 andwhich are displayed on the display panel 12B at the time of start-up ofthe scanner 12 and at the time of image reading and the like, and anerror screen (corresponding to a screen for giving notice that the imageoutput management device is unable to communicate), which is forreporting an error at the time when the sever 14 is unable tocommunicate, are stored in the memory 12D. Specific examples of thescreens relating to only the scanner 12 are a start-up screen forreporting that start-up processing has started, an error screen forreporting failure in the start-up processing, a menu screen forselecting various functions such as image reading, printing and thelike, an operation screen for image reading which is for carrying outvarious types of settings for image reading, an error screen forreporting failure in the image reading, and the like. Namely, the memory12D corresponds to the icon information storing section and the imageinformation storing section of the present invention.

Hereinafter, processing routines which are carried out by the respectivecontrollers of the scanner, the server, and the printer of the presentembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 and FIGS. 14through 16. These processing routines are divided into respectiveroutines of start-up processing of the scanner, attribute informationregistration processing, operation screen display processing, printinstructing processing, and printing processing, and will respectivelybe described hereinafter.

[Start-Up Processing of Scanner]

The start-up processing of the scanner 12 is processing which is firstcarried out when the power source of the scanner 12 is turned on. Whenthe power source of the scanner 12 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 15, instep 344, the start-up processing is implemented, and the scanner 12 isset in a state in which image reading and printing can be carried out.

As shown in FIG. 16, in this start-up processing, in step 390, the dataof a start-up screen which is stored in the memory 12D is read-out. Onthe basis of the read-out data, a start-up screen, such as that shown inFIG. 8 for example, is displayed on the display panel 12B, and in step392, the respective portions of the scanner 12 are started-up.

When the respective portions of the scanner 12 are started-up, in a casein which some type of error occurs and start-up fails, the routineproceeds from step 394 to step 396. The data, which is stored in thememory 12D, of an error screen, which is for reporting an error at thetime of start-up, is read-out. On the basis of the read-out data, anerror screen, such as that shown in FIG. 17 for example, is displayed onthe display panel 12B so as to notify the operator of the error.

On the other hand, in a case in which the respective portions of thescanner 12 are started-up normally, the routine proceeds from step 394to step 398. The data of the menu screen stored in the memory 12D isread-out. On the basis of the read-out data, a menu screen, such as thatshown in FIG. 9 for example, is displayed on the display panel 12B as auser interface. By the operator pressing the service selection buttons200, which are displayed by icons on the menu screen, it is possible toinput an instruction to display an operation screen for image readingwhich is for reading an image from an original, an instruction todisplay an operation screen for printing which is for printing a readimage, and the like.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

The attribute information registration processing is processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

When printers 16 are connected to the network 10, management toolsoftware, which is provided at the server 14, is operated from anoperation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14, or any of theclients 18 connected to the server 14 via the network. In this way,attribute information registration processing for registering theprinters at the server is carried out. Namely, at the server 14, byinstructing the management tool software, in step 308 shown in FIG. 14,when it is judged that there is a request for attribute informationregistration processing, in step 309, a registration processing requestsignal, which requests registration processing of printer attributeinformation, is transmitted from the server 14 to the printer 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, it is judged whether or not aregistration processing request signal has been received. When aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,the attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from theprinter 16 to the server 14.

In step 310, it is judged whether the server 14 has received theattribute information transmitted from the printer 16. When theattribute information has been received, in step 312, the file system14E is controlled such that the attributes of the printer 16 areregistered in the database 24.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the operator selects the output method from the operation screenand selects one of the groups of the printers 16, in step 354 of FIG.15, it is judged that there is a printing operation screen displayinstruction. In step 356, an operation screen generating request signalfor generating an operation screen for printing is transmitted from thescanner 12 to the server 14. Further, it is possible for the operator tooperate the display panel 12B and, for example, select, as the outputdestination, one group of printers 16 from among the groups of theprinters 16 registered in advance, and for only information expressingthat the group of printers 16 has been selected to be transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14.

In step 314 of FIG. 14, when it is judged that the operation screengeneration request signal transmitted from the scanner 12 has beenreceived at the server 14, in step 316, the status of the printer 16connected to the network 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the operationscreen generation request signal and the registered attributeinformation of the printer 16, attribute information for generating anoperation screen for printing of the designated printer 16 is generated.In step 318, the generated attribute information is transmitted to thescanner 12.

At this time, when a group is designated and an operation screengeneration request signal is transmitted, at the server 14, the logicalproduct of the attribute information of the printers 16 belonging tothat group is computed. Common attribute information at the printers 16belonging to that group is selected, and attribute information fordisplaying an operation screen for printing, which displays the commonattribute information, is generated. In this way, for example, if all ofthe printers 16 equipped with a color printing function are registeredin advance as a group and that group is selected, it is possible todisplay only the printers 16 equipped with the color printing functionand the attribute information thereof.

When attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner and it is judged in step 358 of FIG. 15 that attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12generates an operation screen for printing by combining the receivedattribute information, which is expressed in text data for generatingthe operation screen for printing, and the user interface part, whichshows picture information such as buttons or the like and which isstored in the memory 12D. In step 360, the generated operation screenfor printing is displayed on the touch panel 12B as a user interface.

In this way, an operation screen for printing such as that shown in FIG.20 is displayed on the display panel 12B. This operation screen forprinting includes various types of icons 3206 such as icons 3206A forrespective functions which relate to output formats which can be set atthe printers 16, which are designated as the output destinations, on thebasis of the attribute information of these printers 16; an icon 3206Bfor carrying out a screen changing instruction of the operation screenfor printing, in order to designate/change the output destination; anicon 3206C serving as a start button; and the like. Note that the startbutton may be physically provided at the scanner 12.

When a screen change instruction of the operation screen for printing isgiven by the operator operating the displayed operation screen forprinting and, for example, pressing the icon 206B in FIG. 20, theroutine proceeds from step 362 in FIG. 15 to steps 364 and 366, andproceeds from step 314 in FIG. 14 to steps 320 and 322, such that screenchanging processing is carried out. In this screen changing processing,as described in steps 356 through 360 of FIG. 15 and in steps 314through 318 of FIG. 14, a new operation screen generating request signalis transmitted to the server 14 in accordance with the operation of thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12. Attribute information, which is forgenerating a new operation screen for printing, is generated by theserver 14, and the generated attribute information is transmitted. Thus,the display of the operation screen for printing can be changed inaccordance with operations using the operation screen for printing ofthe display panel 12B of the scanner 12.

If the attribute information is not transmitted from the server 14 dueto the server 14 being down or the like, regardless of the fact that anoperation screen generation request signal has been transmitted from thescanner 12 to the server 14, the scanner 12 judges that the server 14 isin a state in which communication is not possible, and the routine moveson from step 358 in FIG. 15 to steps 384 and 386. In step 384, data,which is stored in the memory 12D, of an error screen, which is forgiving notice of an error at the time when the server 14 cannotcommunicate, is read-out. On the basis of the read-out data, an errorscreen, such as that shown in FIG. 21 for example, is displayed on thedisplay panel 12B, and the operator is informed of the error.

In subsequent step 386, it is judged whether or not that error isrepeatedly arising a predetermined number of times (plural times). In acase in which that error has arisen less than the predetermined numberof times, the routine returns to step 354 and waits for the menu screento be operated by the operator and for an instruction to display theoperation screen for printing to again be inputted. If the server 14does not recover from the state in which communication is not possible,and by the operator operating the menu screen, an instruction to displaythe operation screen for printing is repeatedly inputted and anoperation screen generation request signal is transmitted to the server14, and as a result, the error occurs repeatedly the predeterminednumber of times, in step 378, the determination is affirmative, and theserver 12 ends the processing.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

After the operator has confirmed the attribute information of theprinter 16 by the operation screen for printing shown in FIG. 20, theoperator presses the icons 3206A of the operation screen for printing,thereby setting output parameters expressing the image data outputformat such as the sheet size, the enlargement/reduction magnification,and the like. By the operator pressing the icon 3206C which serves as astart button, a printing instruction is carried out.

As the designation of the printer 16, one printer 16 can be designatedand output prints, or one group can be designated and prints can besimultaneously outputted from the respective printers 16 belonging tothe designated group. When a group is designated, same order output orequal output can be designated, or the number of sets to be outputtedcan be designated individually for each of the printers 16 belonging tothat group. Namely, printer designation as well as output methoddesignation are carried out.

As described above, when the operator designates the printer 16 which isto carry out outputting and sets the output parameters expressing theimage data output format and gives a print instruction, in step 362 ofFIG. 15, it is judged that there is a printing instruction. In step 368,a printing possibility confirmation signal, for confirming whether ornot printing by the designated printer 16 is possible, is transmitted tothe server.

When a printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted from thescanner 12 to the server 14 and it is determined in step 324 of FIG. 14that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 326, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 328, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 332, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 328 that printing is impossible, in step 330, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 370 of FIG. 15, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in subsequent step 374, it is judged whetheror not image reading (start of scanning) has been instructed by theoperator pressing the start button or the like. If it is judged in step374 that image reading has been instructed, in step 376, the scannerportion 12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the setoriginal is read in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is readas common image data, and the data is stored in the memory 12D of thescanner as image data which is in electronic form. Then, in step 378,the output format inputted from the operation screen and the image dataread from the scanner portion 12A are transmitted to the server 14.

On the other hand, if it is judged in step 370 that a printingimpossible signal has been inputted, in step 372, the operator isinstructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe touch panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is to carryout outputting, in the same way as described above, the routine proceedsfrom step 362 to step 368. A printing possibility confirmation signal,for confirming whether or not printing is possible, is transmitted tothe server 14. If it is judged in step 370 that a printing possiblesignal has been received and it is judged in step 374 that image readinghas been instructed, in step 376, the image data recorded on theoriginal is read. In step 378, the output format and the image data aretransmitted to the server 14.

[Printing Processing]

In step 334 of FIG. 14, when it is judged that the output format and theimage data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server 14, instep 336, the status of the printer 16, for which job execution has beendesignated, is confirmed. In step 338, from the confirmed status, it isjudged whether or not printing is possible. If an error has arisen andprinting is not possible at the printer 16 for which printing has beendesignated, in step 330, a printing impossible signal is transmitted tothe scanner 12. In this way, at the scanner 12, in step 380, it isjudged that, after the output format and the image data weretransmitted, a printing impossible signal was received. In the same wayas described above, in step 372, the operator is instructed by theoperation screen to carry out re-designation of the printer 16. When theoperator operates the display panel 12B and re-designates a printer 16to carry out outputting, a printing possible signal is received. Whenstart of scanning is instructed, the image is read, and the outputformat and the image data are transmitted to the server 14 again. Then,until it is judged in step 382 that a predetermined time has passed, theroutine returns to step 380, and it is repeatedly judged whether or nota printing impossible signal has been received.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 338 that printing ispossible, in step 340, the server 14 transmits, via the network 10 andto the printer 16 for which printing is designated, an image outputformat signal, which expresses the sheet size, the number of sets, andthe like, and the image data inputted from the scanner 12. In step 104of FIG. 5, if it is judged that the printer 16 has received the outputformat and the image data transmitted from the server 14, in step 106,an image based on the image data is formed on recording sheet in thedesignated output format, and the recording sheet on which the image isformed is outputted.

As described above, in the present embodiment, among the data forgenerating the operation screen for printing, a portion of theinformation is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner 12. Thus, inorder to generate the operation screen for printing, the amount of datatransmitted from the server 14 to the scanner 12 via the network can bereduced. As described above, in particular, the user interface partswhich express picture information, such as icons which have a large dataamount, are stored in the memory 12D of the scanner 12. When theoperation screen for printing is displayed as the user interface, itsuffices to merely transmit from the server 14 the attribute informationof the printer which is text data or the like and has a small amount ofdata. In this way, the time required to display the operation screen forprinting (the operation screen) can be shortened.

As described above, by storing the data of the screen relating to onlythe scanner 12 in the memory 12D of the scanner 12, the screen relatingto the scanner 12 can be displayed on the display panel 12B withoutpassing through the server 14. In this way, if the scanner 12 alone isoperated such as at the time of starting-up the scanner 12 or at thetime of reading an image from an original, execution is possibleregardless of the state of the server 14. Further, as described above,data of an error screen, which gives notice of errors at the time ofstart-up processing or at the time of image reading, is also stored inthe memory 12D of the scanner 12 as a screen relating to the scanner 12.In this way, if an error occurs at the time of start-up processing or atthe time of image reading, the data of the error screen can be read-outand displayed. Thus, the operator can grasp that the cause of the errorlies with the scanner 12.

Moreover, as described above, an error screen, which reports that theserver 14 cannot communicate, is also stored in the memory 12D of thescanner 12D. In this way, in a case in which the scanner 12 cannotcommunicate with the server 14 because the server 14 is down or the likeand an error occurs, the data of this error screen can be read-out fromthe memory 12D of the scanner 12 and displayed. Thus, the operator cangrasp that the cause of the error lies with the server 14.

In a case in which the image recorded on the original is accumulated,when the scan service is selected by pressing the “scanner” button 200Bin the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, it is judged that there is aninstruction to display the operation screen for image reading. The dataof the operation screen for image reading, which is stored in the memory12D, is read-out. On the basis of the read-out data, an operation screenfor image reading, such as that shown in FIG. 18 for example which isprovided with a plurality of icons 3202, is displayed on the displaypanel 12B as the user interface.

By the operator operating the operation screen for image reading andpressing, for example, icons 3202A in FIG. 18, various types of settings(the type of the original, both-sided original feeding, reading density,reading resolution, and the like) for reading the image from theoriginal are carried out. The original is set at the scanner portion12A, and an icon 3202B provided as a start button on the image readingoperation screen is pressed. Note that the start button may bephysically provided at the scanner 12, rather than being an icon.

In a case in which some type of error arises at the time of imagereading, the scanner reads-out data, which is stored in the memory 12D,of an error screen for reporting an error at the time of image reading.On the basis of the read-out data, an error screen is displayed on thedisplay panel 12B, and the operator is notified of the error. Forexample, when the image is read from the original by automatic feeding,at the time when a document jam occurs, an error screen such as that inFIG. 19 is displayed.

Further, in the present embodiment, an image read by the scanner istemporarily stored in the memory 12D of the scanner 12, and at the timeof output to the printers 16, the image is transmitted from the memory12D to the server 14, and is transmitted to the respective printers 16.At the time of reading an original, the read image is transmitted to theserver 14 and stored in the server 14, and at the time of output to theprinters 16, is transmitted to the respective printers 16. However, theimage read by the scanner may be temporarily stored in the memory 12D ofthe scanner 12, and may be transmitted to the respective printers 16 atthe time of output to the printers 16.

As described above, the third embodiment has the excellent effect thatthe time required for display of the operation screen can be reduced.Further, in addition to the above-described effect, there is the effectthat the image input device can be operated regardless of the state ofthe image output management device.

Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 22, and 23, the processing routines which areexecuted by the respective controllers of the scanner, the server, andthe printer of the present embodiment will be described. Theseprocessing routines are divided into attribute information registrationprocessing, operation screen display processing, printing instructingprocessing, and printing processing, and will respectively be describedhereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

The attribute information registration processing is processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

When printers 16 are connected to the network 10, management toolsoftware, which is provided at the server 14, is operated from anoperation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14, or the client 18connected to the server 14 via the network. In this way, attributeinformation registration processing for registering the attributeinformation of the printers 16 at the server 14 is carried out. Namely,at the server 14, by instructing the management tool software, in step408 shown in FIG. 22, when it is judged that there is a request forattribute information registration processing, in step 409, aregistration processing request signal, which requests registrationprocessing of printer attribute information, is transmitted from theserver 14 to the printer 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, it is judged whether or not aregistration processing request signal has been received. When aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,the attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from theprinter 16 to the server 14.

In step 410, it is judged whether the server 14 has received theattribute information transmitted from the printer 16. When theattribute information has been received, in step 412, the file system14E is controlled such that the attribute information of the printer 16is registered in the database 24.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the scanner 12 is started-up, first, an initial screen is displayedat the display panel 12B of the scanner 12, and next, a menu screen forservice selection is displayed.

When the scan function selection service is selected by the operatorfrom the menu screen, in step 448 of FIG. 23, first, a scan functionselection screen 4030 such as that shown in FIG. 24 is displayed, andscan function selection is carried out by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 24, there are, for example, the respective menu itemsof basic scanner, applied scanner, image quality adjustment, and jobediting at the scan function selection screen 30.

Provided at the basic scanner menu are, as shown in FIG. 24 for example,a selection box 4032A for selecting the type of original (e.g.,photograph, document, or the like); a selection box 4032B for selectingthe type of photograph (e.g., print photograph, shot photograph, or thelike); a selection box 4032C for selecting whether or not the read imageis to be subjected to background removal processing; a selection box4032D for selecting the reading density (e.g., in 7 levels from −3 to+3); a selection box 4032E for selecting both-sided original feed (bothsides (opening to the left and the right), or the like); a selection box4032F for selecting the reading magnification (fixed magnification,zoom, or the like); and a selection box 4032G for selecting the outputformat (JPEG, bitmap, PDF, GIF, or the like). The desired function canbe selected for each item. Each item which the operator selects istemporarily stored in the memory 12D.

In this way, the output format can be designated at the time of readingthe image. Therefore, the operator can select an optimal output formatin accordance with the type of image.

Each of the selected items may be stored in the memory 12D as a jobtemplate, and may be called-up later. In this way, at the time ofreading the next image, the respective items can be set merely byreading the job template from the memory 12D, such that there is no needto select the items again, and scanning can be implemented quickly.Further, the read image may be attached to mail and transmitted.

When the operator selects the respective items of the scan functions inaccordance with the read image and selects printing from the menudisplayed on the display panel 12B of the scanner 12, in step 454, it isjudged that there is an instruction to display the printing operationscreen. In step 456, a screen generation request signal for generatingan operation screen for printing is transmitted from the scanner 12 tothe server 14. Further, it is possible to transmit only information,which expresses that a group of the printers 16 has been selected, fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 414 of FIG. 22 that a screengeneration request signal transmitted from the scanner 12 has beenreceived, in step 416, the status of the printer 16 connected to thenetwork 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the screen generation requestsignal and the registered attribute information of the printer 16,attribute information for generating an operation screen for printing ofthe designated printer 16 is generated. In step 418, the generatedattribute information is transmitted to the scanner 12. A signal, fordisplay of the attribute information of all of the printers 16 connectedto the network 10, or for display of only the attribute information ofthe printers 16 equipped with a color printing function, or for displayof attribute information of only the printers 16 of a group designatedin advance, or the like, can be transmitted as the screen generatingrequest signal.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 458 of FIG. 23 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner 12 generates anoperation screen for printing. In step 460, the generated operationscreen for printing is displayed on the display panel 12B as the userinterface.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 462 in FIG. 23 on to steps 464 and 466, andmoves from step 414 in FIG. 22 on to steps 420 and 422, and screenchanging processing is carried out. In this screen changing processing,as shown in steps 456 through 460 of FIG. 23 and in steps 414 through418 of FIG. 22, a new screen generating request signal is transmitted tothe server 14 in accordance with the operation of the display panel 12Bof the scanner 12, and attribute information for generating a newoperation screen for printing is generated by the server 14, and thegenerated attribute information is transmitted. As a result, the displayof the operation screen for printing is changed in accordance withoperation using the operation screen for printing of the display panel12B of the scanner 12.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

The operator confirms the attribute information of the printer 16 by theoperation screen for printing. Thereafter, the operator sets, from theoperation screen for printing, the output parameters which express theimage data output format, such as sheet size, enlargement/reductionmagnification, and the like, and instructs printing. In this way, it isjudged in step 462 of FIG. 23 that there is a printing instruction. Instep 468, a printing possibility confirmation signal, for confirmingwhether or not printing by the designated printer 16 is possible, istransmitted to the server.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 424 of FIG. 22that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 426, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 428, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 432, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 428 that printing is not possible, in step 430, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 470 of FIG. 23, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in the next step 474, it is judged whetherimage reading (scan starting) has been instructed by the operatorpressing a start button or the like. When it is judged in step 474 thatthere is an image reading instruction, in step 476, the scanner portion12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the set original isread in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is read as commonimage data, and is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as image datain electronic form.

In this reading, reading is carried out under the conditions selected bythe operator as described above, and the image data, which is inelectronic form, is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner. Namely,reading is carried out in accordance with the conditions such as thetype of original, the reading density, the reading magnification, andthe like which have been selected by the operator.

Further, in a case in which the output format is designated, in step477, the read image is file-converted into the designated output format(e.g., JPEG).

When image data is inputted from an external storage device in whichimage data is stored in advance, the above-described image readingprocessing is not necessary, and it suffices to store, in the memory12D, the image data read from the external storage device by using areading device (not shown). Further, in this case as well, as describedabove, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 24 may be displayed, and theoutput format of the image may be selected, and the read image may beconverted into an image of the selected output format.

Further, the inputted image data and the selected output format may betransmitted to the server 14 as output image information, without theimage being converted at the scanner. In this case, at the server 14,the inputted image may be converted into an image of the selected outputformat (step 435 of FIG. 22 which will be described later), or may beconverted at the output destination of the image without being convertedat the server 14.

Then, in step 178, the output format inputted from the operation screenand the image data read from the scanner portion 12A are transmitted tothe server 14.

On the other hand, in step 470, in a case in which it is judged that aprinting impossible signal has been inputted, in step 472, the operatoris instructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe display panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is tooutput, in the same way as described above, the routine proceeds fromstep 462 to step 468. A printing possibility confirmation signal forconfirming whether or not printing is possible is transmitted to theserver 14. In a case in which a printing possible signal is received instep 470 and it is judged in step 474 that image reading has beeninstructed, the image data recorded on the original is read in step 476,and in step 478, the output format and the image data are transmitted tothe server 14.

As the designation of the printer 16, one printer 16 can be designated,or one group can be designated and printed matter can be simultaneouslyoutputted from the respective printers 16 belonging to the designatedgroup.

A plurality of printers 16, which are equipped with different functionsas attributes, may be set in advance so as to belong to the same group,and on the basis of the same image data, prints can be outputted fromeach of a printer 16 equipped with a color output function and a printer16 equipped with a black-and-white output function. In this case, bydesignating the outputting such that one set is outputted from theprinter 16 equipped with the color output function and the remainingsets are outputted from the printer 16 equipped with the black-and-whiteoutput function, costs can be reduced as compared with a case in whichall of the sets are color-outputted.

[Printing Processing]

In step 434 of FIG. 22, it is judged whether or not the output formatand the image data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server14. If it is judged that the output format and the image data from thescanner 12 have been received at the server 14, in step 435, the imagedata, which was received only in the case in which there was aninstruction to convert the received image into a designated outputformat, is converted into the designated output format. If the outputformat has not been designated, i.e., if the inputted image wasconverted into an image of the output format at the scanner 12,conversion of the image data is not carried out. Further, it is possibleto instruct the output destination to convert the image data into theselected output format at the time of output, without the image databeing converted at the server.

In step 436, the status of the printer 16, which was designated toexecute the job, is confirmed. In step 438, it is judged, from theconfirmed status, whether or not printing is possible. If an error hasoccurred at the printer 16 for which printing is designated and printingis not possible, in step 430, a printing impossible signal istransmitted to the scanner 12. In this way, at the scanner 12, in step480, it is judged that, after transmission of the output format and theimage data, a printing impossible signal has been received. As describedabove, in step 472, when the operator is instructed by the operationscreen to re-designate the printer 16 and the operator operates thedisplay panel 12B so as to re-designate the printer 16 to carry outoutput, a printing possible signal is received. When start of scanningis instructed, the image is read, and the output format and the imagedata are transmitted again to the server 14. Then, until it is judged instep 482 that a predetermined time has passed, the routine returns tostep 480, and it is repeatedly judged whether or not a printingimpossible signal has been received.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 438 that printing ispossible, in step 440, an image data output format signal, whichexpresses the paper size, the number of sets and the like, and the imagedata, which is inputted from the scanner 12, are transmitted from theserver 14 via the network 10 to the printer 16 for which printing hasbeen designated. In step 104 of FIG. 5, when it is judged that theoutput format and the image data transmitted from the server 14 havebeen received, the image data, which was received only in a case inwhich it was instructed to convert the received image data into thedesignated output format, is converted, at the printer 16, into an imageof the designated output format. If the output format is not designated,i.e., if the image data is converted into image data of the outputformat at the scanner 12 or the server 14, image data conversion is notcarried out.

Then, in step 106, an image based on the image data is formed on arecording sheet in the designated output format, and the recording sheeton which the image is formed is outputted.

In this way, in the present embodiment, the output format can bedesignated at the time of reading the image. Thus, the operator canselect the optimal output format in accordance with the type of theimage.

In the present embodiment, a case is described in which, when the outputformat is designated, the read image is file-converted into thedesignated output format by the scanner 12. However, the read image doesnot have to be file-converted at the scanner 12. The read image may bestored as is in the memory 12D, and information relating to thedesignated output format may be transmitted to the server 14 togetherwith the image data, and at the server 14, the received image data maybe file-converted into the designated output format.

As described above, in accordance with the fourth embodiment of thepresent invention, there is the effect that, at the time of imagereading, the operator can select the optimal output format in accordancewith the type of the image.

Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 26, a personal computer 18 is equipped with a CPU 18Awhich controls the entire personal computer 18; a RAM 18B; a ROM 18C inwhich programs of processing routines, which will be described later,and the like are stored in advance; an interface 18I to which a display18D, a CD-ROM drive 18E, a hard disk 18F, a keyboard 18G, and a mouse18H are connected; and an input/output port 18J. The CPU 18A, the RAM18B, the ROM 18C, the interface 18I and the input/output port 18J areconnected to the network 10 via a communications control unit 18K whichcarries out communications, via the network, with devices connected tothe network.

Processing routines, which are executed by the respective controllers ofthe scanner, the server and the printer of the present embodiment, willbe described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 5 through 7 and 25.These processing routines are divided into routines for attributeinformation registration processing, operation screen displayprocessing, printing instructing processing, and printing processing,and each will be described separately hereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

Attribute information registration processing is a processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, the attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

In a case in which the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, byoperating an operation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14 or byoperating management tool software provided at the server 14 from theclient 18 which is connected to the server 14 via the network, attributeinformation registration processing for registering the attributeinformation of the printer 16 in the server 14 is carried out. Namely,at the server 14, by an instruction to the management tool software, instep 508 of FIG. 25, when it is judged that there is an attributeinformation registration processing request, in step 509, a registrationprocessing request signal, which requests registration processing ofprinter attribute information, is transmitted from the server 14 to theprinter 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, a determination is made as towhether a registration processing request signal has been received. If aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from the printer16 to the server 14.

In step 510, the server 14 judges whether attribute informationtransmitted from the printer 16 has been received. If attributeinformation has been received, in step 512, the file system 14E iscontrolled, and the attribute information of the printer 16 isregistered in the database 24.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the scanner 12 is started-up, first, an initial screen is displayedon the display panel 12B of the scanner 12, and next, a menu screen forservice selection is displayed.

In a case in which image data is inputted from an external storagedevice in which image data is stored in advance, the above-describedimage reading processing is not needed, and it suffices to store, in thememory 12D, the image data read from the external storage device byusing a reading device (not shown).

When the operator selects printing from the menu displayed on thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12, in step 154 of FIG. 7, it is judgedthat there is an instruction for display of operation screen forprinting. In step 156, an operation screen generating request signal forgenerating an operation screen for printing is transmitted to the server14 from the scanner 12. Further, it is possible for only informationexpressing that a group of printers 16 has been selected to betransmitted from the scanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 512 of FIG. 25 that a screengenerating request signal transmitted from the scanner 12 has beenreceived, in step 513, it is judged whether reprint file information hasbeen received. Namely, it is judged whether reprinting has beeninstructed by the scanner 12. Then, if reprint file information has beenreceived, the routine moves on to step 514. If reprint file informationhas not been received, the routine proceeds to step 517. Note thatreprinting processing will be described later.

In step 517, the status of the printer 16 connected to the network 10 isconfirmed. On the basis of the screen generating request signal and theregistered attribute information of the printer 16, attributeinformation for generating an operation screen for printing of thedesignated printer 16 is generated. In step 518, the generated attributeinformation is transmitted to the scanner 12. A signal, for display ofthe attribute information of all of the printers 16 connected to thenetwork 10, or for display of only the attribute information of theprinters 16 equipped with a color printing function, or for display ofattribute information of only the printers 16 of a group designated inadvance, or the like, can be transmitted as the screen generatingrequest signal.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 158 of FIG. 7 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner 12 generatesthe operation screen for printing. In step 160, the generated operationscreen for printing is displayed on the display panel 12B as the userinterface.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 162 in FIG. 7 on to steps 164 and 166, and movesfrom step 514 in FIG. 25 on to steps 520 and 522, and screen changingprocessing is carried out. In this screen changing processing, as shownin steps 156 through 160 of FIG. 7 and in steps 514 through 518 of FIG.25, a new operation screen generating request signal is transmitted tothe server 14 in accordance with the operation of the display panel 12Bof the scanner 12, and attribute information for generating a newoperation screen for printing is generated by the server 14, and thegenerated attribute information is transmitted. As a result, the displayof the operation screen for printing is changed in accordance withoperation using the operation screen for printing of the display panel12B of the scanner 12.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

The operator confirms the attribute information of the printer 16 by theoperation screen for printing. Thereafter, the operator sets, from theoperation screen for printing, the output parameters which express theimage data output format, such as sheet size, enlargement/reductionmagnification, and the like, and instructs printing. In this way, it isjudged in step 162 of FIG. 7 that there is a printing instruction. Instep 168, a printing possibility confirmation signal, for confirmingwhether or not printing by the designated printer 16 is possible, istransmitted to the server.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 524 of FIG. 25that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 526, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 528, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 531, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 528 that printing is not possible, in step 530, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 170 of FIG. 7, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in the next step 174, it is judged whetherimage reading (scan starting) has been instructed by the operatorpressing a start button or the like. When it is judged in step 174 thatthere is an image reading instruction, in step 176, the scanner portion12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the set original isread in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is read as commonimage data, and is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as image datain electronic form. Then, in step 178, the output format inputted fromthe operation screen and the image data read from the scanner portion12A are transmitted to the server 14.

On the other hand, in step 170, in a case in which it is judged that aprinting impossible signal has been inputted, in step 172, the operatoris instructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe display panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is tooutput, in the same way as described above, the routine proceeds fromstep 162 to step 168. A printing possibility confirmation signal forconfirming whether or not printing is possible is transmitted to theserver 14. In a case in which a printing possible signal is received instep 170 and it is judged in step 174 that image reading has beeninstructed, the image data recorded on the original is read in step 176,and in step 178, the output format and the image data are transmitted tothe server 14.

[Printing Processing]

In step 532 of FIG. 25, it is judged whether reprinting has beeninstructed from the client 18. When reprinting has been instructed, theroutine moves on to step 533 (details will be described later). Ifreprinting has not been instructed, i.e., if printing of the image readby the scanner 12 is instructed, in step 535, it is judged whether theoutput format and the image data from the scanner 12 have been receivedat the server 14.

When it is judged that the output format and the image data from thescanner 12 have been received at the server 14, in step 536, the statusof the printer 16 which has been designated to execute the job isconfirmed. In step 538, it is judged, from the confirmed status, whetheror not printing is possible. If an error has arisen and printing is notpossible at a printer 16 for which printing has been designated, in step130, a printing impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. Atthe scanner 12, in step 180, it is judged whether a printing impossiblesignal has been received after transmission of the output format and theimage data. In this way, at the scanner 12, it is judged in step 170whether a printing impossible signal has been inputted. As describedabove, in step 172, when the operator is instructed by the operationscreen to re-designate the printer 16 and the operator operates thedisplay panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is to output, aprinting possible signal is received. When start of scanning isinstructed, the image is read, and the output format and image data areagain transmitted to the server 14. Then, in step 182, until it isjudged that a predetermined time has passed, the routine returns to step180, and it is repeatedly judged whether or not a printing impossiblesignal has been received.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 538 that printing ispossible, in step 540, an image data output format signal, whichexpresses the sheet size, the number of sets, and the like, and theimage data, which is inputted from the scanner 12, are transmitted viathe network 10 from the server 14 to the printer 16 for which printinghas been designated. At the printer 16, in step 104 of FIG. 5, when itis judged that the output format and image data transmitted from theserver 14 have been received, in step 106, an image based on the imagedata is formed on a recording sheet in the designated output format, andthe recording sheet, on which the image has been formed, is outputted.

In step 542, it is judged whether, together with the instruction forprinting from the scanner 12, storage has been instructed. If there is astorage instruction, in step 544, by controlling the file system 14E,the received image data and output format are stored in the database 24as a file for reprinting.

[Reprinting Processing]

By storing the image read by the scanner 12 and the output format in thedatabase 24 as described above, the image and output format can becalled-up at any time later and reprinted. Here, a case will bedescribed in which, at the client 18, a file to be reprinted isdesignated and reprinting is carried out.

A control routine which is executed at the client (personal computer) 18is shown in FIG. 27. The control routine executed at the personalcomputer 18 is basically similar to the control routine which isexecuted at the scanner 12 and which is shown in FIG. 7 and which wasdescribed previously. Thus, the same processings are denoted by the samereference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

After the operator confirms the attribute information of the printer 16by the operation screen for printing, when the operator designates theprinter 16 which is to output prints and instructs printing, it isjudged in step 562 of FIG. 27 that there is a printing instruction. Instep 568, a printing possibility confirmation signal, for confirmingwhether or not printing by the designated printer 16 is possible, istransmitted to the server.

On the other hand, if there is no printing instruction, in step 564, theoperator operates the displayed operation screen for printing, and it isjudged whether a screen change instruction for the operation screen forprinting has been carried out. If there is no instruction to change thescreen, the routine returns to step 562.

If there is a screen change instruction, in step 590, it is judgedwhether or not a reprint file has been designated. Namely, it is judgedwhether the operator has selected reprinting from the menu displayed onthe display 18D and has designated a reprint file.

The designation of the reprint file is carried out by, for example,displaying on the display 18D a screen 5030 such as that shown in FIG.28, and the reprint file being designated by an input device such as thekeyboard 18G or the mouse 18H or the like. Specifically, as shown inFIG. 28, a folder is selected (clicked-on) from among folder icons 5032displayed at the left side of the screen 5030. A file for reprinting(file for recopying), for which reprinting is desired, is selected fromthe selected folder. By clicking on an OK button 5034 at the upper rightby using the mouse 18H, the file for recopying can be set.

When the file for reprinting is set in this way, in step 592, fileinformation for reprinting, e.g., information expressing the storedposition of the reprint file such as the file name of the reprint fileor the like, is transmitted to the server 14 via the network 10. In thisway, at the server 14, it is judged in step 513 that a file forreprinting has been received. In step 514, the output format of thedesignated file for reprinting is read.

Then, in step 515, on the basis of the registered attribute informationof the printer 16, attribute information for generating an operationscreen for reprinting is generated. In step 516, the generated attributeinformation and the read output format are transmitted to the client 18as a signal for generating an operation screen.

In this way, at the client 18, in step 594, it is judged that theattribute information and the output format have been received, and theroutine returns to step 562.

Then, at the client 18, when a change in the output format of reprintingis instructed for example, operation screen changing processing iscarried out in step 566. In this way, a recopy setting changing screen5036, such as that shown in FIG. 29 for example, is displayed on thedisplay 18D. At this time, at the client 18, on the basis of thereceived attribute information and output format, an operation screen,at which settings of predetermined unalterable functions cannot bechanged, is generated and displayed.

Namely, as shown in FIG. 29 for example, in a case in which the itemsbasic copying, applied copying, image quality adjustment, and jobediting are in the setting screen 5036 which is displayed at the time ofnew copying, when black-and-white is selected at color mode selectionbox 5037 among the output formats in the basic copy item, a settingscreen 5038 such as that shown in FIG. 30 is generated at the time ofrecopying. Namely, the box for selecting the color mode is notdisplayed, and the mode is fixed to black-and-white mode. Further, in aprinter selection area 5040, only printers for black-and-white aredisplayed. In this way, because an image which was printed inblack-and-white is reprinted at a printer for black-and-white at thetime of recopying as well, a deterioration in image quality can beprevented.

Further, even in a case in which a magnification selection box 5042 forreducing or enlarging the image is provided at the time of newly copyinga black-and-white image, as shown in FIG. 29, the magnificationselection box 5042 is not displayed at the time of recopying as shown inFIG. 30. In this way, enlargement and reduction processings at the timeof recopying can be prohibited.

Functions which can be set at the time of newly copying but which cannotbe set at the time of recopying are, for example, the “place on onesheet (N up)” item of the applied copying shown in FIG. 31, and thelike.

Further, for functions which are implemented at the time of scanning,there are functions for which there is a need to read the original againand which cannot be set at the time of recopying. For example, there arethe functions of remove background and copy density and the like in theitem image quality adjustment shown in FIG. 32. For such functions aswell, as shown in FIG. 30, setting cannot be carried out at the time ofrecopying.

On the other hand, as functions for which settings can be changed at thetime of recopying, there are the following functions. For example, asshown in FIG. 30, in the item basic copying, there are the number ofsets to be outputted, sheet selection, one-sided/both-sided selection,finishing/stapling/punching, and copy position/binding margin.

Further, as shown in FIG. 33, in the job editing item, there are proofcopy, job event notification, automatic recovery, job priority, outputreservation, job destruction reservation, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 34, in the item of changing the output method, thereare the functions of do not divide, output equally, output same order,best matching, and designate number of sets individually.

In this way, specific functions, whose settings cannot be changed at thetime of recopying, and functions, for which setting is impossible at thetime of recopying, are not displayed in the setting screen 38 and cannotbe selected.

Then, when the operator refers to the setting screen 5038 shown in FIG.30 and carries out a setting change and clicks on a start button 5044,it is judged in step 562 that printing has been instructed. In step 568,a printing possibility confirmation signal, for confirming whether ornot printing by the designated printer 16 is possible, is transmitted tothe server. Note that, by clicking on a cancel button 5046, therecopying processing is cancelled, and by clicking on a reset button5048, the set contents are reset.

Then, when the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmittedfrom the client 18 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 524 of FIG.25 that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 526, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 528, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 531, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the client 18. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 528 that printing is impossible, in step 530, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the client 18.

At the client 18, in step 570, it is judged whether a printing possiblesignal has been received. If a printing possible signal has beenreceived, in step 596, the output format inputted from the operationscreen is transmitted to the server 14.

At the server 14, in step 532 of FIG. 25, it is judged whetherreprinting has been instructed from the client 18. If reprinting hasbeen instructed, the routine moves on to step 533 where it is judgedwhether the output format has been received. If the output format hasbeen received, in step 534, the image data of the designated reprintfile is read.

Then, in step 536, the status of the printer 16 which has beendesignated to execute the job is confirmed. In step 538, it is judged,from the confirmed status, whether or not printing is possible. If it isjudged that printing is possible, in step 540, the output formatreceived in step 533 and the image data read in step 534 aretransmitted, from the server 14 via the network 10, to the printer 16for which printing has been designated. In this way, recopyingprocessing is carried out at the printer 16.

In this way, specific functions, whose settings cannot be changed at thetime of recopying, and functions, for which setting is impossible at thetime of recopying, are, at the time of recopying, not displayed in thesetting screen 5038 and cannot be selected. Thus, a deterioration in theimage quality at the time of recopying can be prevented.

In the above explanation, a case of recopying by the client 18 isdescribed as an example. However, it goes without saying that recopyingcan be carried out at the scanner 12.

Further, when the printer is changed at the time of recopying, imagedata for recopying may be regenerated in accordance with the changedprinter, and outputted to the printer. In this way, a deterioration inimage quality due to differences in various machines can be prevented.

Further, for those functions for which a change in settings at the timeof recopying is basically impossible, it is possible for the settingsthereof to be able to be changed by a specific manager alone, or thelike.

As described above, the fifth embodiment of the present invention hasthe effect that a deterioration in image quality at the time ofre-output can be prevented.

Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 35, and 36, the processing routines which areexecuted by the respective controllers of the scanner, the server, andthe printer of the present embodiment will be described. Theseprocessing routines are divided into attribute information registrationprocessing, operation screen display processing, printing instructingprocessing, and printing processing, and will respectively be describedhereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

Attribute information registration processing is a processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, the attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

In a case in which the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, byoperating an operation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14 or byoperating management tool software provided at the server 14 from theclient 18 which is connected to the server 14 via the network, attributeinformation registration processing for registering the attributeinformation of the printer 16 in the server 14 is carried out. Namely,at the server 14, by an instruction to the management tool software, instep 608 of FIG. 35, when it is judged that there is an attributeinformation registration processing request, in step 609, a registrationprocessing request signal, which requests registration processing ofprinter attribute information, is transmitted from the server 14 to theprinter 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, a determination is made as towhether a registration processing request signal has been received. If aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from the printer16 to the server 14.

In step 610, the server 14 judges whether attribute informationtransmitted from the printer 16 has been received. If attributeinformation has been received, in step 612, the file system 14E iscontrolled, and the attribute: information of the printer 16 isregistered in the database 24.

Further, the server 14 can confirm the current status of the printer,i.e., can confirm whether printing is possible or not possible. Examplesof states in which printing is not possible are states in which thepower source is off, there is a paper Jam, no sheets are accommodated inthe tray, the printer 16 is currently in use, and the like.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the scanner 12 is started-up, at the display panel 12B of thescanner 12, first, an initial screen is displayed, and next, a menuscreen for service selection is displayed.

In a case in which image data is inputted from an external storagedevice in which image data is stored in advance, the above-describedimage reading processing is not necessary, and the image data, which isread from the external storage device by using a reading device (notshown) can be stored in the memory 12D.

Then, when the operator selects printing from the menu displayed on thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12, in step 654 of FIG. 36, it isjudged that there is an instruction for display of operation screen forprinting. In step 656, a screen generating request signal for generatingan operation screen for printing is transmitted to the server 14 fromthe scanner 12. Further, it is possible for only information expressingthat a group of printers 16 has been selected to be transmitted from thescanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 114 of FIG. 35 that a screengenerating request signal transmitted from the scanner 12 has beenreceived, in step 616, the status of the printer 16 connected to thenetwork 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the screen generating requestsignal and the registered attribute information of the printer 16,attribute information for generating an operation screen for printing ofthe designated printer 16 is generated. In step 618, the generatedattribute information is transmitted to the scanner 12. A requestsignal, for display of the attribute information of all of the printers16 connected to the network 10, or for display of only the attributeinformation of the printers 16 equipped with a color printing function,or for display of attribute information of only the printers 16 of agroup designated in advance, or the like, can be transmitted as thescreen generating request signal.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 658 of FIG. 36 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner generates theoperation screen for printing. In step 660, the generated operationscreen for printing is displayed on the display panel 12B as the userinterface.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 662 in FIG. 36 on to steps 664 and 666, andmoves from step 614 in FIG. 35 on to steps 620 and 622, and screenchanging processing is carried out. In this screen changing processing,as shown in steps 656 through 660 of FIG. 36 and in steps 614 through618 of FIG. 35, a new screen generating request signal is transmitted tothe server 14 in accordance with the operation of the display panel 12Bof the scanner 12, and attribute information for generating a newoperation screen for printing is generated by the server 14, and thegenerated attribute information is transmitted. As a result, the displayof the operation screen for printing is changed in accordance withoperation using the operation screen for printing of the display panel12B of the scanner 12.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

The operator confirms the attribute information of the printers 16 bythe operation screen for printing. Thereafter, from the operation screenfor printing, the operator sets the output parameters which express theimage data output format, such as sheet size, enlargement/reductionmagnification, and the like, and carries out printing instruction. Inthis way, it is judged in step 662 of FIG. 36 that there is a printinginstruction. In step 668, a printing possibility confirmation signal,which is for confirming whether printing by the designated printer 16 ispossible, is transmitted to the server.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 624 of FIG. 35that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 626, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 628, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 632, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 628 that printing is not possible, in step 629, itis confirmed whether the status is that the printer 16 is currently inuse.

If the designated printer 16 is currently not in use, i.e., if there isan error state such as the power is off, or there is a paper jam, or nosheets are accommodated in the tray, or the like, in step 630, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

On the other hand, if the designated printer 16 is currently in use,i.e., if the display panel 16B of the printer 16 is operated and theprinter 16 is currently operating, in step 631, a currently in usesignal, which expresses that the currently designated printer 16 iscurrently in use, is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 670 of FIG. 36, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in the next step 674, it is judged whetherimage reading (scan starting) has been instructed by the operatorpressing a start button or the like. When it is judged in step 674 thatthere is an image reading instruction, in step 676, the scanner portion12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the set original isread in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is read as commonimage data, and is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as image datain electronic form. Then, in step 678, the output format inputted fromthe operation screen and the image data read from the scanner portion12A are transmitted to the server 14.

On the other hand, in step 670, in a case in which it is judged that asignal other than a printing possible signal has been inputted, in step671, it is judged whether a currently in use signal has been inputted.If a printing impossible signal and not a currently in use signal hasbeen received, in step 672, the operator is instructed to re-designatethe printer 16. When the operator operates the display panel 12B andre-designates the printer 16 which is to output, in the same way asdescribed above, the routine proceeds from step 662 to step 668. Aprinting possibility confirmation signal for confirming whether or notprinting is possible is transmitted to the server 14. In a case in whicha printing possible signal is received in step 670 and it is judged instep 674 that image reading has been instructed, the image data recordedon the original is read in step 676, and in step 678, the output formatand the image data are transmitted to the server 14.

Further, if it is judged in step 671 that a currently in use signal hasbeen received, in step 673, it is displayed on the display panel 12Bthat the designated printer 16 is currently in use. In this way, theuser can easily grasp that the designated printer 16 is currently inuse.

As the designation of the printer 16, one printer 16 can be designated,or one group can be designated and prints can be simultaneouslyoutputted from the respective printers 16 belonging to the designatedgroup.

A plurality of printers 16, which are equipped with different functionsas attributes, may be set in advance so as to belong to the same group.On the basis of the same image data, prints can be outputted from eachof a printer 16 equipped with a color output function and a printer 16equipped with a black-and-white output function. In this case, bydesignating the outputting such that one set is outputted from theprinter 16 equipped with the color output function and the remainingsets are outputted from the printer 16 equipped with the black-and-whiteoutput function, costs can be reduced as compared with a case in whichall of the sets are color-outputted.

[Printing Processing]

In step 634 of FIG. 35, when it is judged that the output format and theimage data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server 14, instep 636, the status of the printer 16 which has been designated toexecute the job is confirmed. In step 638, it is judged, from theconfirmed status, whether or not printing is possible. If an error hasarisen and printing is not possible at a printer 16 for which printinghas been designated, in step 139, it is confirmed whether the status ofthe designated printer 16 is that the printer 16 is currently in use.

If the designated printer 16 is not currently in use, i.e., if there isan error state such as the power is off, or there is a paper jam, or nosheets are accommodated in the tray, or the like, in step 630, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. In thisway, at the scanner 12, in step 680, it is judged that, after the outputformat and the image data were transmitted, a printing impossible signalwas received. As described above, in step 672, when the operator isinstructed by the operation screen to re-designate the printer 16 andthe operator operates the display panel 12B and re-designates theprinter 16 which is to output, a printing possible signal is received.When start of scanning is instructed, the image is read, and the outputformat and image data are again transmitted to the server 14. Then, instep 682, until it is judged that a predetermined time has passed, theroutine returns to step 680, and it is repeatedly judged whether or nota printing impossible signal has been received.

On the other hand, if it is judged in step 639 that the designatedprinter 16 is currently in use, i.e., if the display panel 16B of theprinter 16 is operated and the printer 16 is currently operating, theroutine proceeds to step 636, and the status is repeatedly confirmeduntil printing becomes possible.

When it is determined in step 638 that printing is possible, in step640, an image data output format signal, which expresses the sheet size,the number of sets and the like, and the image data, which is inputtedfrom the scanner 12, are transmitted, from the server 14 and via thenetwork 10, to the printer 16 for which printing has been designated. Atthe printer 16, in step 104 of FIG. 5, when it is judged that the outputformat and image data transmitted from the server 14 have been received,in step 106, an image based on the image data is formed on a recordingsheet in the designated output format, and the recording sheet, on whichthe image has been formed, is outputted.

In this way, in the present embodiment, even if the display panel 16B ofthe printer 16 is operated and the printer 16 is currently operating,the printer 16 which is currently operating can be designated at thescanner 12 and the job can be set. It is displayed at the scanner 12that the printer 16 is currently operating, and when operation hasfinished, the job set at the scanner 12 can be executed at the printer16. Namely, not only can operation be carried out at the scanner 12, butalso, each printer can be made to operate alone. Therefore, each printercan be effectively used.

Note that, while the designated printer 16 is currently in use, stoppingof the job set at the scanner 12 can be set, and another printer can beset.

As described above, in accordance with the sixth embodiment of thepresent invention, there are the effects that an operation screen commonto image output devices provided with different attributes can bedisplayed such that the operation screen can be effectively operated,and each printer can be effectively used.

Hereinafter, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 37, and 38, the processing routines which areexecuted by the respective controllers of the scanner, the server, andthe printer of the present embodiment will be described. Theseprocessing routines are divided into attribute information registrationprocessing, operation screen display processing, printing instructingprocessing, printing processing, re-output processing, and jobmanagement processing, and will respectively be described hereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

Attribute information registration processing is a processing forregistering, in the database connected to the server 14, the attributeinformation of the printers 16 connected to the network.

In a case in which the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, byoperating an operation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14 or byoperating management tool software provided at the server 14 from any ofthe clients 18 which are connected to the server 14 via the network,attribute information registration processing for registering theprinter in the server is carried out. Namely, at the server 14, by aninstruction to the management tool software, in step 708 of FIG. 37,when it is judged that there is an attribute information registrationprocessing request, in step 709, a registration processing requestsignal, which requests registration processing of printer attributeinformation, is transmitted from the server 14 to the printer 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, a determination is made as towhether a registration processing request signal has been received. If aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from the printer16 to the server 14.

In step 710, the server 14 judges whether attribute informationtransmitted from the printer 16 has been received. If attributeinformation has been received, in step 712, the file system 14E iscontrolled, and the attributes of the printer 16 are registered in thedatabase 24.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the operator selects an output method from the operation screen andselects one of the groups of printers 16, in step 754 of FIG. 38, it isjudged that there is an instruction for display of a printing operationscreen. In step 756, an operation screen generating request signal forgenerating an operation screen for printing is transmitted to the server14 from the scanner 12. Further, it is possible for the operator tooperate the display panel 12B and, for example, select, as the outputdestination, one group of printers 16 from among the pre-registeredgroups of printers 16, and for only information expressing that thatgroup of printers 16 has been selected to be transmitted from thescanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 714 of FIG. 37 that anoperation screen generating request signal transmitted from the scanner12 has been received, in step 716, the status of the printer 16connected to the network 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the operationscreen generating request signal and the registered attributeinformation of the printer 16, attribute information for generating anoperation screen for printing of the designated printer 16 is generated.In step 718, the generated attribute information is transmitted to thescanner 12.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 758 of FIG. 38 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner 12 generatesthe operation screen for printing. In step 760, the generated operationscreen for printing is displayed on the display panel 12B as the userinterface.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 762 in FIG. 38 on to step 764, and moves fromstep 714 in FIG. 37 on to steps 720 and 722, and screen changingprocessing is carried out. In this screen changing processing, as shownin steps 756 through 760 of FIG. 38 and in steps 714 through 718 of FIG.37, a new operation screen generating request signal is transmitted tothe server 14 in accordance with the operation of the display panel 12Bof the scanner 12, and attribute information for generating a newoperation screen for printing is generated by the server 14, and thegenerated attribute information is transmitted. As a result, the displayof the operation screen for printing is changed in accordance withoperation using the operation screen for printing of the display panel12B of the scanner 12.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

After the operator confirms the attribute information of the printer bysuch an operation screen for printing, the operator sets, from theoperation screen for printing, output parameters which express the imagedata output format such as sheet size, enlargement/reductionmagnification, and the like, and instructs printing.

At this time, if storage of the job for the purpose of re-outputting thejob is selected, the routine moves on from step 768 to step 770, andoperator is urged to designate the storage destination and the storageterm of the job for re-output.

For example, an operation screen such as that shown in FIG. 40 isdisplayed on the display panel 12B. The operator is urged to select anicon 7300 of a desired folder from the icons 7300 which expressselectable folders and which are provided in the lower left portion ofthe operation screen. The information (name of folder for re-copying,related PIN, and the like) of the folder corresponding to the selectedicon 7300 is displayed in the lower right portion. When the operatorconfirms this information and selects an OK button 7302, that folder isdesignated as the storage destination of the job for re-output.

Next, an operation screen such as that shown in FIG. 41 is displayed onthe display panel 12B. The operator operates radio buttons 7304A, 7304B,which are provided on the operation screen and which show AM and PM, anda pull-down menu 7306, by which a time from 1:00 to 12:00 can beselected. When the deletion time of the job for re-output (image data)is selected and an OK button 7308 is selected, the period of time untilthe deletion time is designated as the storage term.

Further, at this time, in a case in which a job destruction reservationis carried out, the routine proceeds from step 772 to step 774 where theoperator is urged to designate the destruction time.

For example, an operation panel such as that shown in FIG. 42 isdisplayed on the display panel 12B. When the operator selects icons 7310of a desired time from among the icons 7310, which are provided on theoperation screen and which show selectable destruction times (days), andthe operator selects an OK button 7312, the time corresponding to theselected icons 7310 is designated as the destruction time.

As the designation of the printer 16, one printer 16 can be designatedand output prints, or one group can be designated and prints can besimultaneously outputted from the respective printers 16 belonging tothe designated group. When a group is designated, same order output orequal output can be designated, or the number of sets to be outputtedcan be designated individually for each of the printers 16 belonging tothat group. Namely, printer designation as well as output methoddesignation are carried out.

For example, a plurality of printers 16, which are equipped withdifferent functions as attributes, may be set in advance so as to belongto the same group. On the basis of the same image data, prints can beoutputted from each of a printer 16 equipped with a color outputfunction and a printer 16 equipped with a black-and-white outputfunction. In this case, by designating the outputting such that one setis outputted from the printer 16 equipped with the color output functionand the remaining sets are outputted from the printer 16 equipped withthe black-and-white output function, costs can be reduced as comparedwith a case in which all of the sets are color-outputted

As described above, in a case in which a job is to be stored for thepurpose of re-output, the operator designates the storage destinationfor re-output and the storage term. In a case in which a job destructionreservation is to be carried out, the operator designates thedestruction time. When the printer 16 which is to carry out output isdesignated, and the output parameters expressing the image data outputformat are set, and the start button is selected from the operationscreen for printing, and printing is instructed, it is judged in step776 of FIG. 38 that there is a printing instruction. In step 778, aprinting possibility confirmation signal, for confirming whether or notprinting by the designated printer 16 is possible, is transmitted to theserver.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 724 of FIG. 37that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 726, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 728, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 732, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 728 that printing is not possible, in step 730, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

At the scanner 12, in step 780 of FIG. 38, it is judged whether aprinting possible signal has been received. If a printing possiblesignal has been received, in the next step 784, it is judged whetherimage reading (scan starting) has been instructed by the operatorpressing a start button or the like. When it is judged in step 784 thatthere is an image reading instruction, in step 786, the scanner portion12A is controlled such that the image recorded on the set original isread in one operation, i.e., a series of image data is read as commonimage data, and is stored in the memory 12D of the scanner as image datawhich is in electronic form. Then, in step 788, the output formatinputted from the operation screen and the image data read from thescanner portion 12A are transmitted to the server 14.

On the other hand, in step 780, in a case in which it is judged that aprinting impossible signal has been inputted, in step 782, the operatoris instructed to re-designate the printer 16, and the routine returns tostep 762. When the operator operates the display panel 12B andre-designates the printer 16 which is to output, in the same way asdescribed above, the routine proceeds from step 776 to step 778, and aprinting possibility confirmation signal for confirming whether or notprinting is possible is transmitted to the server 14. In a case in whicha printing possible signal is received in step 780 and it is judged instep 784 that image reading has been instructed, the image data recordedon the original is read in step 786, and in step 788, the output formatand the image data are transmitted to the server 14.

[Printing Processing]

In step 734 of FIG. 37, when it is judged that the output format and theimage data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server 14, instep 736, the output format and the image data are registered as the jobof the designated image output device. In step 738, the status of theprinter 16, for which execution of the job has been designated, isconfirmed. In step 740, it is judged, from the confirmed status, whetheror not printing is possible.

If it is judged that an error has arisen or the like and printing is notpossible at the printer 16 for which printing has been designated, instep 730, a printing impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.In this way, at the scanner 12, in step 790, it is judged that, aftertransmission of the output format and the image data, a printingimpossible signal was received. As described above, in step 782, whenthe operator is instructed by the operation screen to re-designate theprinter 16 and the operator operates the display panel 12B andre-designates the printer 16 which is to output, a printing possiblesignal is received. When start of scanning is instructed, the image isread, and the output format and image data are again transmitted to theserver 14. Then, until it is judged in step 792 that a predeterminedtime has elapsed, the routine returns to step 790, and it is repeatedlyjudged whether or not a printing impossible signal has been received.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 740 that printing ispossible, in a case of printing a job for which a storage destinationwas designated in step 770, the routine moves from step 742 to step 744where a copy file of the image data is stored in the designated folderas a job for re-output. Thereafter, the routine moves on to step 746where an image output format signal, which expresses the sheet size, thenumber of sets and the like, and the image data, which is inputted fromthe scanner 12, are transmitted, via the network 10 from the server 14,to the printer 16 for which printing has been designated. Note that thejob for re-output may be stored in the memory 14B of the server 14, ormay be stored in an external storage device connected to the server 14via the driver 20, or may be stored in a storage device connected viathe network 10.

If no storage destination has been designated, the routine moves on asis from step 742 to step 746 where, similarly, the image format signaland the image data are transmitted to the designated printer 16.

At the printer 16, in step 104 of FIG. 5, when it is judged that theoutput format and image data transmitted from the server 14 have beenreceived, in step 106, an image based on the image data is formed on arecording sheet in the designated output format, and the recordingsheet, on which the image has been formed, is outputted.

At the server 14, the status of the printing processing at the printer16 is monitored. When the printing processing is completed, the routinemoves from step 748 to step 749, and the information of thecorresponding job which is registered and held is erased.

[Re-Output Processing]

When an image, which has already been outputted from the printer 16, isto be re-outputted, the operator selects the reprinting service from themenu screen (not shown) displayed on the display panel 12B. The operatordesignates the file to be re-outputted, from among the files which arestored as re-output jobs. In the same way as in the above-describedprinting instructing processing, the operator designates the printer 16which is to output the image, and sets the output format. In this way,at the server 12, it is judged that a re-output instruction has beeninputted. The routine moves on from step 754 in FIG. 38 to steps 751 and753, and a re-output instruction is transmitted to the server 14.

At the server 14, when the reprinting instruction is received, in thesame way as in the above-described printing instructing processing, theroutine moves from step 724 of FIG. 37 to steps 726, 728, and 732.Thereafter, the routine proceeds from step 733 to step 735, and thefile, which has been designated from the files stored as re-output jobs,is read-out. In step 736, the job is registered. Thereafter, processingssimilar to the processings described in the above [Printing Processing]are carried out, and the image is again formed onto recording paper andoutputted from the printer 16.

Namely, by storing a copy file of the image data as a job for re-output,even after an image based on the image data is printed from the printer16, the operator can use the stored job (image data) for re-output, suchthat an image based on the same image data can be printed again.

[Job Management Processing]

Job management processing is processing which is always carried out in abackground process at the server 14. This background process will bedescribed hereinafter with reference to FIG. 39. Note that, while theserver 14 is starting-up, the process shown in FIG. 39 is executedrepeatedly by the controller 14A in an interrupting manner each time apredetermined period of time passes.

First, in step 900, the information of the job which is registered andheld (see step 736 of FIG. 37) is confirmed. If there is a job for whicha destruction reservation has been set, the routine proceeds from step902 to step 904, and it is confirmed whether or not the designateddestruction time has been reached (has passed). If the destruction timehas been reached, it is judged that the job is an unnecessary job. Theroutine moves on to step 906 where the job is deleted, and theprocessings relating to that job are terminated.

Next, in step 908, for each of the folders which can be designated as astorage destination of jobs for re-output (image data), the jobs forre-output stored in the folder are confirmed. If there are jobs forwhich the designated storage term has elapsed, that job is judged to bean unnecessary job. The routine moves on from step 910 to step 912, andthat job for re-output is erased.

As described above, the storage destination and storage term of the jobfor re-output can be designated, and the image data and the outputformat can be transmitted from the scanner 12 to the server 14. At theserver 14, the image data and output format are registered as a job andprinted at the printer 16. The image data is copied, and is stored in adesignated storage destination as a job for re-output. When the storageterm thereof has passed, the job is automatically erased. In this way,even after printing and outputting of the image one time, the copiedimage data remains during the storage term. Thus, the same image can beoutputted again, or can be outputted by changing the printer 16 oroutput method.

Accordingly, at the time of designating printing of image data for whichthere is the possibility of re-output, by the operator merelydesignating the storage destination and the storage term of the job forre-output, the image can be outputted time and again during the storageterm. When the storage term has passed, the job for re-output isautomatically erased from the memory. Thus, wasteful use of memoryresources can be prevented.

Further, the destruction time can be designated, and the image data andoutput format can be transmitted to the server 14 from the scanner 12.At the server 14, the image data and the output format are registered asa job, and when printing at the designated printer 16 is possible, thejob is transmitted to the printer 16 such that printing is carried out,and thereafter, the job is erased. When the previously designateddestruction time is reached, the job is automatically erased, and theprocessings relating to that job are terminated.

Accordingly, for image data for which output is unnecessary if outputthereof has not been carried out by a predetermined time, by theoperator merely designating that predetermined time as the destructiontime at the time when the operator designates printing, the job iserased automatically if output has not been carried out by the desiredtime. Thus, output of unnecessary images can be prevented.

In this way, a job is automatically erased if the designated deletiontime has been reached or the storage term has elapsed. Thus, even if theoperator does not search for and delete unnecessary jobs from among theregistered jobs and the stored jobs for re-output, unnecessary jobs canbe deleted by the simple operation of merely inputting, at the time ofinstructing printing, the deletion time or the storage term. Further,there is no worry that the necessary jobs will be mistakenly deleted dueto mistakes in operation by the operator.

In the present embodiment, at the time of re-output, the fact that theoperator has designated a job for re-output is taken into consideration,and the operator sets the storage term and the storage destination forre-output separately from the reservation for destruction, such that thejob for re-output can be stored and managed in an arbitrary place.However, the present invention is not limited to the same. It ispossible to not designate the storage destination. Further, it ispossible to not separate the destruction time and the storage term, andinstead, to set a valid term in common.

Further, in a case in which the destruction time and the storage termare set separately, at the time when the destruction time is reached andthe registered job is to be deleted, if this time is during the storageterm, the job may be stored in a designated storage destination as a jobfor re-output. For example, in a case in which if a job is not outputtedby 3:00 today, the job may be outputted up until the day after tomorrow,the destruction time is set for 3:00 today, and the storage term is setfor the day after tomorrow. In this way, if the job is not outputted by3:00, the registered job is deleted and image output is temporarilycancelled, but the job for re-output is stored. Thus, the job can beoutputted again at a time when the rate of operation of the printer 16is low or the like.

As described above, the seventh embodiment of the present invention hasthe excellent effect that jobs which are no longer needed can easily andaccurately be deleted.

Hereinafter, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the drawings. The basic structureof the print system of the present embodiment is the same as that of thefirst embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the same structuralelements, members and the like are denoted by the same referencenumerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, description isomitted of portions of the functions, operations, and effects of theprint system of the present embodiment which are the same as those ofthe first embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 5, 43, and 44, the processing routines which areexecuted by the respective controllers of the scanner, the server, andthe printer of the present embodiment will be described. Theseprocessing routines are divided into attribute information registrationprocessing, operation screen display processing, notificationdestination setting processing, printing instructing processing,printing processing, and event monitoring processing, and willrespectively be described hereinafter.

[Attribute Information Registration Processing]

In a case in which the printer 16 is connected to the network 10, byoperating an operation panel (not shown) provided at the server 14 or byoperating management tool software provided at the server 14 from any ofthe clients 18 which are connected to the server 14 via the network,attribute information registration processing for registering theprinter in the server is carried out. Namely, at the server 14, by aninstruction to the management tool software, in step 808 of FIG. 43,when it is judged that there is an attribute information registrationprocessing request, in step 809, a registration processing requestsignal, which requests registration processing of printer attributeinformation, is transmitted from the server 14 to the printer 16.

At the printer 16, in step 100 of FIG. 5, a determination is made as towhether a registration processing request signal has been received. If aregistration processing request signal has been received, in step 102,attribute information of the printer 16 is transmitted from the printer16 to the server 14. In step 810, the server 14 judges whether attributeinformation transmitted from the printer 16 has been received. Ifattribute information has been received, in step 812, the file system14E is controlled, and the attributes of the printer 16 are registeredin the database 24.

[Notification Destination Setting Processing]

When event notification is selected from the menu displayed on thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12 by the operator, in step 844 of FIG.44, it is judged that setting of event notification has been requested.In step 846, an operation screen for event notification setting isdisplayed on the display panel 12B, and the operator is urged to set thenotification destination of the events and the types of events to benotified.

In the present embodiment, in order to set notification of events of thescanner 12, an operation screen for event notification setting such asthat shown in FIG. 46 for example is displayed on the display panel 12B.In order to set notification of events of the printer 16, an operationscreen for event notification setting such as that shown in FIG. 47 forexample is displayed on the display panel 12B. Namely, it is possible toset separate notification destinations for events of the scanner 12 andevents of the printer 16.

The operator operates the operation screen for event notificationsetting, and designates the event notification destination and the typesof events to be notified. In the examples shown in FIGS. 46 and 47, theoperator selects and presses one of a radio button 8200A, which isprovided at the operation screen for event notification setting andexpresses that notification is to be by mail, and a radio button 8200B,which is provided at the operation screen for event notification settingand expresses that the host (client) is to be notified. In this way, oneof the buttons is set in an on state. Then, if the radio button 8200Ahas been selected, the mail address is inputted into a notificationdestination input box 8202. If the radio button 8200B has been selected,the client name, which is one of clients 18 ₁ to 18 _(n), is inputtedinto the notification destination input box 8202. Input into thenotification destination input box 8202 can be carried out by, forexample, selecting the mail address or the client name which isregistered in advance in a pull-down menu form, or by providing akeyboard in the vicinity of the display panel 12B and carrying out inputfrom the keyboard.

The operator confirms a list 8204 of events which can be selected, whichlist 8204 is displayed in the lower portion of the operation screen forevent notification setting. From among checkboxes 8206 provided for therespective events, the operator presses and turns on the checkboxes 8206corresponding to the events for which he/she wishes to receive agenerated notification.

Examples of events of the scanner 12 which can be selected areprocessing of a document was stopped at the server, a job (image data,output format, or the like) could not be received at the sever, thevalid term of the job expired, a stored file could not be accessed atthe server, job processing was stopped at the server, the managercancelled the job, the user cancelled the job, the attributes (outputformat) of the job were changed, the job was destroyed at the serversince the archive term of the job expired, the job was restarted, or thelike. Examples of events of the printer 16 which can be selected are theprinter was registered, a printer registration was deleted, a printerjob was temporarily stopped, a printer job was restarted, attributes ofthe printer were changed, a printer error was overcome and the printerreturned to normal, the status of the printer changed, the printer mainbody is waiting for an operation of the user, the power was turned offbefore the printer was finished, the printer ran out of time, and thelike.

In this way, when the radio buttons 8200A, 8200B, the notificationdestination input box 8202, and the checkboxes 8206 are operated suchthat the notification destination and types of events to be notified areset, the operator presses an OK button 8208 on the operation screen forevent notification setting. In this way, in step 148, settinginformation, which expresses the notification destination and types ofevents to be notified which were set at the operation screen for eventnotification setting, is transmitted to the server 14.

The operation screen for event notification setting can be displayed onthe displays provided at the respective clients 18 ₁ through 18 _(n).The operator can operate a keyboard or a mouse provided at the clients18 ₁ through 18 _(n), and set the event notification destination and thetypes of events to be notified at the operation screen for eventnotification setting displayed on the display. Namely, the clients 18 ₁through 18 _(n) correspond to the information input device of thepresent invention.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 812 of FIG. 43 that settinginformation, which expresses the notification destination and the typesof events to be notified, has been received, the routine proceeds tostep 813 where the notification destination and the types of events tobe notified are registered (stored) in the memory 14C or the database24.

[Operation Screen Display Processing]

When the operator selects the output method from the operation screenand selects one group of the printers 16, in step 854, it is judged thatthere is a designation for display of operation screen for printing. Instep 856, an operation screen generating request signal for generatingan operation screen for printing is transmitted to the server 14 fromthe scanner 12. Further, it is possible for the operator to operate thedisplay panel 12B and select, for example, one group from thepre-registered groups of printers 16 as the output destination, and foronly information expressing that that group of printers 16 has beenselected to be transmitted from the scanner 12 to the server 14.

At the server 14, when it is judged in step 814 of FIG. 43 that a screengenerating request signal transmitted from the scanner 12 has beenreceived, in step 816, the status of the printer 16 connected to thenetwork 10 is confirmed. On the basis of the operation screen generatingrequest signal and the registered attribute information of the printer16, attribute information for generating an operation screen forprinting of the designated printer 16 is generated. In step 818, thegenerated attribute information is transmitted to the scanner 12.

When the attribute information is transmitted from the server 14 to thescanner 12 and it is judged in step 858 of FIG. 44 that the attributeinformation from the server 14 has been received, the scanner 12combines the received attribute information, which is expressed as textdata for generating an operation screen for printing, and user interfaceparts, which are stored in the memory 12D and which express pictureinformation such as buttons or the like, and the scanner generates theoperation screen for printing. In step 860, the generated operationscreen for printing is displayed on the touch panel 12B as the userinterface.

When the operator operates the displayed operation screen for printingand designates a screen change of the operation screen for printing, theroutine moves from step 862 in FIG. 44 on to steps 864 and 866, andmoves from step 814 in FIG. 43 on to steps 820 and 822, and screenchanging processing is carried out. In this screen changing processing,as shown in steps 856 through 860 of FIG. 44 and in steps 814 through818 of FIG. 43, a new operation screen generating request signal istransmitted to the server 14 in accordance with the operation of thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12, and attribute information forgenerating a new operation screen for printing is generated by theserver 14, and the generated attribute information is transmitted. As aresult, the display of the operation screen for printing is changed inaccordance with operation using the operation screen for printing of thedisplay panel 12B of the scanner 12.

To describe the screen changing processing in further detail, when agroup of printers 16 is selected by operation of the operation screenfor printing of the touch panel 12B of the scanner 12 and a screengenerating signal for setting output instructions is transmitted to theprinters belonging to the designated group, at the server 14, thelogical product of the attribute information of the printers 16belonging to the group is computed. The attribute information common tothe printers 16 belonging to that group is selected and is transmittedto the scanner 12. In this way, an operation screen for printing, whichdisplays a group of printers 16 and the common attribute information ofthe group, is generated and displayed.

[Printing Instructing Processing]

The operator confirms the attribute information of the printer by theoperation screen for printing. Thereafter, from the operation screen forprinting, the operator sets the output parameters which express theimage data output format, such as sheet size, enlargement/reductionmagnification, and the like, and carries out printing instruction. Inthis way, it is judged in step 862 of FIG. 44 that there is a printinginstruction. In step 868, a printing possibility confirmation signal,for confirming whether or not printing by the designated printer 16 ispossible, is transmitted to the server.

When the printing possibility confirmation signal is transmitted fromthe scanner 12 to the server 14 and it is judged in step 824 of FIG. 43that the printing possibility confirmation signal has been received(i.e., that there is a printing instruction), in step 826, the status ofthe designated printer 16 is confirmed. In step 828, if it is judgedfrom the status that printing is possible, in step 832, a printingpossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. On the other hand, ifit is judged in step 828 that printing is not possible, in step 830, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 870 that a printingimpossible signal has been inputted, in step 872, the operator isinstructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe touch panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is to output,in the same way as described above, the routine proceeds from step 862to step 868. A printing possibility confirmation signal for confirmingwhether or not printing is possible is transmitted to the server 14. Ina case in which a printing possible signal is received in step 870 andit is judged in step 874 that image reading has been instructed, theimage data recorded on the original is read in step 876. If the operatorhas selected, within a predetermined time, to carry out eventnotification settings for each job, the routine moves on from step 878to step 880, and in the same way as in step 846, the event notificationdestination and the types of events to be notified are set.

When the event notification destination and the types of events to benotified are set, in step 882, the set information relating to the eventnotification destination and types of events to be notified istransmitted to the server 14 together with the output format and theimage data.

If carrying out of event notification setting for each job is notselected within the predetermined time, the routine moves from step 878to steps 884 and 886, and the output format and the image data aretransmitted to the server 14.

Namely, in the present embodiment, the event notification destinationand the types of events to be notified can be set in advance (see step846), and the notification destination and types of events to benotified can be changed for each job (see step 880).

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 870 that a printingimpossible signal has been inputted, in step 872, the operator isinstructed to re-designate the printer 16. When the operator operatesthe touch panel 12B and re-designates the printer 16 which is to output,in the same way as described above, the routine proceeds from step 862to step 868. A printing possibility confirmation signal for confirmingwhether or not printing is possible is transmitted to the server 14. Ina case in which a printing possible signal is received in step 870 andit is judged in step 874 that image reading has been instructed, theimage data recorded on the original is read in step 876. Then, inaccordance with whether or not the operator selects, within apredetermined time, that event notification setting for the respectivejobs is to be carried out, the routine proceeds from step 878 to steps880 and 882, and in the same way as described above, the set informationrelating to the event notification destination and types of events to benotified is transmitted to the server 14 together with the output formatand the image data, or the routine proceeds from step 878 to steps 884and 886, and the output format and the image data are transmitted to theserver 14.

[Printing Processing]

In step 833 of FIG. 43, when it is judged that the output format and theimage data from the scanner 12 have been received at the server 14, instep 834, it is judged whether setting information relating to the eventnotification destination and types of events to be notified is included.

When the output format and the image data transmitted inpreviously-described step 878 of FIG. 44 are received, the settinginformation relating to the event notification destination and types ofevents to be notified is included. Thus, the routine moves from step 834to step 835, and the notification destination and types of events to benotified are registered (stored) in the memory 14C or the database 24.Thereafter, the routine moves on to step 836. When the output format andthe image data transmitted in previously-described step 882 of FIG. 44are received, the setting information relating to the event notificationdestination and types of events to be notified is not included. Thus,the routine proceeds as is onto step 836 where the status of the printer16 which has been designated to execute the job is confirmed. In step838, it is judged, from the confirmed status, whether or not printing ispossible. If an error has arisen and printing is not possible at aprinter 16 for which printing has been designated, in step 830, aprinting impossible signal is transmitted to the scanner 12. In thisway, at the scanner 12, in step 888, it is judged that, aftertransmission of the output format and the image data, a printingimpossible signal was received. As described above, in step 872, whenthe operator is instructed by the operation screen to re-designate theprinter 16 and the operator operates the display panel 12B andre-designates the printer 16 which is to output, a printing possiblesignal is received. When start of scanning is instructed, the image isread, and the output format and the image data, or the output format,the image data and the set information relating to the eventnotification destination and types of events to be notified, are againtransmitted to the server 14. Then, until it is judged in step 889 thata predetermined time has elapsed, the routine returns to step 888, andit is repeatedly judged whether or not a printing impossible signal hasbeen received.

On the other hand, when it is judged in step 838 that printing ispossible, in step 840, the server 14 transmits, via the network 10 andto the printer 16 for which printing is designated, an image outputformat signal, which expresses the sheet size, the number of sets, andthe like, and the image data inputted from the scanner 12. In step 104of FIG. 5, if it is judged that the printer 16 has received the outputformat and the image data transmitted from the server 14, in step 106,an image based on the image data is formed on a recording sheet in thedesignated output format, and the recording sheet on which the image isformed is outputted.

[Event Monitoring Processing]

The event monitoring processing is processing which is always carriedout in a background process at the server 14. This background processwill be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 45. Note that,while the server 14 is starting-up, the process shown in FIG. 45 isalways executed repeatedly by the controller 14A in an interruptingmanner each time a predetermined period of time passes.

In the event monitoring processing, in step 890, an event, which hasoccurred at the scanner 12 and the printer 16 which are connected to thenetwork 10, is confirmed.

It is confirmed whether an event, which was registered (stored) in thememory 14C or the database 24 in step 813 or step 835 ofpreviously-described FIG. 43, i.e., an event for which notification hasbeen designated by the operator, has occurred. In a case in which it iswithin a predetermined period of time from the time the display panel12B was operated by the operator for image reading or instructingprinting, the routine proceeds from step 892 to steps 894 and 896. Instep 896, a signal expressing that such an event has occurred istransmitted to the scanner 12. Due to the transmission of this signal,for example, a message based on this signal is displayed on the displaypanel 12B.

In this way, immediately after the display panel 12B is operated forimage reading or to instruct printing, i.e., before the operator movesaway from the place of the scanner 12, the occurrence of an event isnotified to the scanner 12, and the occurrence of the event can benotified to the operator.

After a period of time which is greater than or equal to thepredetermined period of time has elapsed from the time the operatoroperates the display panel 12B for image reading or instructingprinting, if it is confirmed that an event for which notification hasbeen set has arisen, the routine proceeds from step 892 to step 894 andstep 898. In step 898, a signal expressing that the event has occurredis transmitted to the notification destination which was registered(stored) in the memory 14C or the database 24 in step 813 or step 835 ofpreviously-described FIG. 43, i.e., to the mail address or the host(client 18 ₁ through 18 _(n)) set as the notification destination by theoperator. Due to transmission of this signal, for example, in a case inwhich the notification destination is a mail address, an e-mail messagestating that an event has occurred is transmitted to that mail address,and in a case in which the notification destination is a host (client 18₁ through 18 _(n)), a message stating that an event has occurred isdisplayed on the display provided at that host.

In this way, in a case in which a predetermined period of time passesfrom operation of the display panel 12B and the operator moves away fromthe scanner 12 by, for example, returning to his/her desk or going tothe printer 16 to pick up the outputted image or the like, theoccurrence of the event can be notified to the notification destinationset by the operator, and the occurrence of the event can be notified tothe operator.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the operator sets anotification destination and an event occurs at the scanner 12 or theprinter 16, the occurrence of the event is notified to the setnotification destination. Thus, even if the operator moves away from thelocation of the scanner 12, the occurrence of the event can be reliablyreported.

In the present embodiment, an example is described of a case in whichthe notification destination of the event changes over time, but it isnot necessary for the notification destination to be changed. Further,an example is described of a case in which the operator is notified ofthe occurrence of an event. However, the mail address of or the hostused by the system manager may be set as the notification destination,and the occurrence of the event may be reported to the system manager.Further, an example is described of a case in which setting andregistration of notification destinations and types of events to benotified are possible for each job. However, it is possible for anotification destination and types of events to be notified to be setand registered in advance, and for the operator to select the on/offstate of event notification for each job. In this way, it is possiblefor, only in cases of jobs for which event notification is turned on,event notification to be carried out on the basis of the settinginformation which is set and registered in advance, and it is possiblefor event notification to not be carried out in cases in which eventnotification is not selected.

As described above, the eighth embodiment of the present invention hasthe excellent effect that the operator can reliably be notified of theoccurrence of an event.

1. A management device used in an image output system which is formed bya plurality of image output devices, which output images on the basis ofimage data, and an image input device, which inputs image data, beingrespectively connected to a network, the management device comprising: amonitor section that is configured to monitor image input and outputoperations at the image input device and the image output devices and isconfigured to measure a period of time which has elapsed from a timewhen a user performs instruction of the image input and outputoperations, wherein if a predetermined event resulting from processingof the image data, which is carried out with the user performing theinstruction of the image input and output operations, occurs within apredetermined period of time which has elapsed from the time when theuser performs the instruction of the image input and output operations,a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the predetermined event istransmitted to a device from which the user performs the instruction ofthe image input and output operations, if the predetermined event occursafter the predetermined period of time and the user sets a notificationdestination, other than the device from which the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, and the types ofevents to be notified, the signal for giving notice of occurrence of thepredetermined event is transmitted to the notification destination, andthe predetermined event, whose occurrence is notified by transmittingthe signal, is set by the user, and the predetermined event is an eventin which the processing of the image data is not performed according tothe instruction of the image input and output operations.
 2. An eventnotifying method in an image output system which is formed by aplurality of image output devices, which output images on the basis ofimage data, and an image input device, which inputs image data, beingrespectively connected to a network, said event notifying methodcomprising the steps of: monitoring image input and output operations atthe image input device and the image output devices; and measuring aperiod of time which has elapsed from a time when a user performsinstruction of the image input and output operations, wherein if apredetermined event resulting from processing of the image data, whichis carried out with the user performing the instruction of the imageinput and output operations, occurs within a predetermined period oftime which has elapsed from the time when the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, a signal forgiving notice of occurrence of the predetermined event is transmitted toa device from which the user performs the instruction of the image inputand output operations, if the predetermined event occurs after thepredetermined period of time and the user sets a notificationdestination, other than the device from which the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, and the types ofevents to be notified, the signal for giving notice of occurrence of thepredetermined event is transmitted to the notification destination, andthe predetermined event, whose occurrence is notified by transmittingthe signal, is set by the user, and the predetermined event is an eventin which the processing of the image data is not performed according tothe instruction of the image input and output operations.
 3. An imageoutput system comprising: a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; an image input deviceincluding: an image data input section for input of image data; aninformation input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and a transmitting section which is connected to thenetwork, and which transmits, via the network, image data inputted fromthe image data input section and information inputted from theinformation input section; and a management device connected to thenetwork, and which includes a monitor section that monitors image inputand output operations at the image input device and the image outputdevices and measures a period of time which has elapsed from a time whena user performs instruction of the image input and output operations,wherein if the event resulting from processing of the image data, whichis carried out with the user performing the instruction of the imageinput and output operations, occurs within a predetermined period oftime which has elapsed from the time when the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, a signal forgiving notice of occurrence of the event is transmitted to a device fromwhich the user performs the instruction of the image input and outputoperations, if the event occurs after the predetermined period of timeand the user sets the notification destination, other than a device fromwhich the user performs the instruction of the image input and outputoperations, and the type of events to be notified, the signal for givingnotice of occurrence of the event is transmitted to the notificationdestination, and the event, whose occurrence is notified by transmittingthe signal, is set by the user, and the predetermined event is an eventin which the processing of the image data is not performed according tothe instruction of the image input and output operations.
 4. An imageoutput system comprising: a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; an image input deviceincluding: an image data input section for input of image data; and animage data transmitting section which is connected to the network andwhich transmits, via the network, image data inputted from the imagedata input section; an information input device including: aninformation input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and an information transmitting section which is connectedto the network and which transmits, via the network, informationinputted from the information input section; and a management deviceconnected to the network, and which includes a monitor section thatmonitors image input and output operations at the image input device andthe image output devices and measures a period of time which has elapsedfrom a time when a user performs instruction of the image input andoutput operations, wherein if the event resulting from processing of theimage data, which is carried out with the user performing theinstruction of the image input and output operations, occurs within apredetermined period of time which has elapsed from the time when theuser performs the instruction of the image input and output operations,a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the event is transmitted toa device from which the user performs the instruction of the image inputand output operations, if the event occurs after the predeterminedperiod of time and the user sets a notification destination, other thanthe device from which the user performs the instruction of the imageinput and output operations, and the types of events to be notified, thesignal for giving notice of occurrence of the event is transmitted tothe notification destination, and the event, whose occurrence isnotified by transmitting the signal, is set by the user, and thepredetermined event is an event in which the processing of the imagedata is not performed according to the instruction of the image inputand output operations.
 5. A management device used in an image outputsystem including: a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; an image input deviceincluding: an image data input section for input of image data; aninformation input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and a transmitting section which is connected to the networkand which transmits, via the network, image data inputted from the imagedata input section and information inputted from the information inputsection; and a monitor section that is configured to monitor image inputand output operations at the image input device and the image outputdevices and is configured to measure a period of time which has elapsedfrom a time when a user performs instruction of the image input andoutput operations, wherein if the event resulting from processing of theimage data, which is carried out with the user performing theinstruction of the image input and output operations, occurs within apredetermined period of time which has elapsed from the time when theuser performs the instruction of the image input and output operations,a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the event is transmitted toa device from which the user performs the instruction of the image inputand output operations, if the event occurs after the predeterminedperiod of time and the user sets a notification destination, other thanthe device from which the user performs the instruction of the imageinput and output operations, and the types of events to be notified, thesignal for giving notice of occurrence of the event is transmitted tothe notification destination, and the event, whose occurrence isnotified by transmitting the signal, is set by the user, and thepredetermined event is an event in which the processing of the imagedata is not performed according to the instruction of the image inputand output operations.
 6. A management device used in an image outputsystem including: a plurality of image output devices which arerespectively connected to a network, and which output images on thebasis of image data transmitted via the network; an image input deviceincluding: an image data input section for input of image data; and animage data transmitting section which is connected to the network andwhich transmits, via the network, image data inputted from the imagedata input section; an information input device including: aninformation input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; and an information transmitting section which is connectedto the network and which transmits, via the network, informationinputted from the information input section; and a monitor section thatis configured to monitor image input and output operations at the imageinput device and the image output devices and is configured to measure aperiod of time which has elapsed from a time when a user performsinstruction of the image input and output operations, wherein themanagement device is connected to the network, if the event resultingfrom processing of the image data, which is carried out with the userperforming the instruction of the image input and output operations,occurs within a predetermined period of time which has elapsed from thetime when the user performs the instruction of the image input andoutput operations, a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the eventis transmitted to a device from which the user performs the instructionof the image input and output operations, if the event occurs after thepredetermined period of time and the user sets the notificationdestination, other than a device from which the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, and the type ofevents to be notified, the signal for giving notice of occurrence of theevent is transmitted to the notification destination, and the event,whose occurrence is notified by transmitting the signal, is set by theuser, and the predetermined event is an event in which the processing ofthe image data is not performed according to the instruction of theimage input and output operations.
 7. An event notifying method in animage output system which is formed by: a plurality of image outputdevices which output images on the basis of image data; an image inputdevice including: an image data input section for input of image data;and an information input section for input of information designating anotification destination of an event relating to image input and outputoperations; a management device which includes a monitor section thatmonitors image input and output operations at the image input device andthe image output devices and measures a period of time which has elapsedfrom a time when a user performs instruction of the image input andoutput operations, being respectively connected to the network, saidevent notifying method comprising the steps of: transmitting, from theimage input device to the management device, the information designatingthe notification destination of the event, which information is inputtedfrom the information input section, wherein if the event resulting fromprocessing of the image data, which is carried out with the userperforming the instruction of the image input and output operations,occurs within a predetermined period of time which has elapsed from thetime when the user performs the instruction of the image input andoutput operations, a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the eventis transmitted to a device from which the user performs the instructionof the image input and output operations, if the event occurs after thepredetermined period of time and the user sets a notificationdestination, other than the device from which the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, and the types ofevents to be notified, the signal for giving notice of occurrence of theevent is transmitted to the notification destination, and the event,whose occurrence is notified by transmitting the signal, is set by theuser, and the predetermined event is an event in which the processing ofthe image data is not performed according to the instruction of theimage input and output operations.
 8. An event notifying method in animage output system which is formed by: a plurality of image outputdevices which output images on the basis of image data; an image inputdevice for input of image data; an information input device for input ofinformation designating a notification destination of an event relatingto image input and output operations; and a management device whichincludes a monitor section that monitors image input and outputoperations at the image input device and the image output devices andmeasures a period of time which has elapsed from a time when a userperforms instruction of the image input and output operations, beingrespectively connected to the network, said event notifying methodcomprising the steps of: transmitting, from the information input deviceto the management device, inputted information designating anotification destination of an event, wherein if the event resultingfrom processing of the image data, which is carried out with the userperforming the instruction of the image input and output operations,occurs within a predetermined period of time which has elapsed from thetime when the user performs the instruction of the image input andoutput operations, a signal for giving notice of occurrence of the eventis transmitted to a device from which the user performs the instructionof the image input and output operations, if the event occurs after thepredetermined period of time and the user sets a notificationdestination, other than the device from which the user performs theinstruction of the image input and output operations, and the types ofevents to be notified, the signal for giving notice of occurrence of theevent is transmitted to the notification destination, and the event,whose occurrence is notified by transmitting the signal, is set by theuser, and the predetermined event is an event in which the processing ofthe image data is not performed according to the instruction of theimage input and output operations.